Reading the Books Philosophers Stone
by AlwaysOpugno
Summary: When Harry and the gang travel back to Christmas 1976 armed with 7 Books. Can they convince the Marauders, Lily and Severus Snape to sit down and read with them? And can they change the future, for the better?
1. Going Back In Time

**Ok guys, this is my first EVER story :) and I'm kinda scared and excited at the same time ... please read, and review, all comments will be appreciated.  
This chapter is just the opening to the rest of the story.**

Disclaimer ~ If I was JKR would I really be posting on here? No, I'd have it published by now :D

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'I'm scared about this Harry, What if something goes wrong? What if... What if...'

'Chill out Hermione, everything will be fine!'

'Are you sure about this Harry?'

'Hermione, we've been through this 50 odd times, I have too,' replied Harry.

'What if something goes wrong?' Hermione asked again looking worried.

'It won't. We've been planning this for 3 years! It's flawless.'

'Harry, you know as well as I do that our plans are NEVER flawless.' Hermione moaned.  
Harry grinned at her, 'but, that's what makes it fun.'

Hermione opened her mouth in protest, but before she could speak Ron interrupted.  
'Hermione, you know you're never going to change his mind, we've planned this through excessively. Nothing is going to go wrong, and if it does, well, that's why we have you,' he said smiling at his sulky wife.

Hermione went back to the plans while muttering under her breath, and throwing glares back at her boys. Ron grinned at Harry, 'This had better work, mate. I don't think we will hear the end of it if it doesn't.'

'It will work, it has too. It just ... has too'

Harry, Ron and Hermione walked into the other room, where everyone was waiting for them, Neville, Luna, Ginny, Draco, Teddy and George.

'Ready?' asked Ginny.

Hermione nodded and picked up the time-turner, looking worried.

'It will be fine, Hermione!' reassured Harry, but Hermione ignored him.

'I'll place the book and get them into the room, and then I'll send you a message. You remember how many times to turn it?'

'Yes, Hermione,' they all chanted, before they burst out laughing.

Hermione glared, before disappearing under the Invisibility Cloak and passing through time with a small pop.

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**Well, thanks for reading :) I know it was short, but more is on its way!  
Please take the time to review, I need all the encouragement/advice/general-help I can get.  
~AlwaysOpugno**


	2. Collecting The Readers

**Chapter 2 XD  
I'm so excited, I hope you guys (who haven't shown up yet :P) like it :D  
~AlwaysOpugno**

**Disclaimer ~ JKR is an amazing author... I'm not ... you do the maths :P**

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**Collecting the Readers**

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**Lily**

'Lily! Hey, Lily!'

'Oh god,' Lily mumbled, before shouting. 'No James! I will not go out with you!'

'Lily!'

'No James! Oh...' she said, turning around.

The person calling her wasn't James Potter; it was a woman with a pretty face and slightly bushy hair.

'Erm... sorry, I thought ... Sorry,' she finished nervously.

The woman smiled, 'It's ok. I have some things to tell you, or, more show you... or ... Could you just come with me? I'll be able to explain better once I've collected everyone.'

'Erm, sure,' replied Lily.

'Great! I'm Hermione by the way.'

Hermione led Lily to the Room of Requirement, which she had already opened, and told her to take a seat on one of the sofa's (which the Room had provided) and that she would be right back.

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**James, Sirius, Remus**

'Duro'

'Ow!' said the dark haired boy in glasses, as he crashed into the wall that used to be a tapestry hiding the exit to the passageway, 'why would you do that?' he asked angrily turning around, 'Who are you?' he demanded frowning.

'My name is Hermione Granger; I've got something to show the three of you. Could you come with me please?'

'What is it?' asked Sirius suspiciously.

'That's a hard question to answer, right now. I'll be able to explain better once I have you all together.'

'All? Who else is there?' James asked.

'Erm... just a few people... like I said, it's hard to explain but you'll know more if you come with me.'

Remus shrugged and went to follow, but Sirius held out an arm to stop him. 'What?' Remus asked, 'It sounds interesting, and I just have a feeling that we should.'

'What about Peter? Should we go find him?' asked Sirius, ignoring Remus.

'Err, best not, I can't say why just yet, but he shouldn't come.'

James frowned, 'I'm not happy about this, but I suppose we should go with you.'

'Thank you!' said Hermione, sounding relieved. 'Follow me.'

The three boys started to follow.

'Just one question, why did you make the tapestry solid just as I walked into it? It hurt!'

'Sorry,' replied Hermione, trying not to laugh, 'I thought it would get your attention.'

James huffed while Sirius and Remus laughed at their friend.

Hermione took the boys to the Room of Requirement and led them in.

'Take a seat; I'll be back in a bit.'

'Hey! Lily!' yelled James. 'What are you doing here?'

'Hermione asked me.' She replied shortly, glaring at James who was trying to sit next to her. 'James, go sit by Sirius, you can't sit here.'

'Says who?' he laughed, sticking his tongue out.

'Me.' She responded, pushing him onto the floor, then moving her legs up onto the couch.

James pouted at Lily and went to sit by Padfoot.

None of them noticed Hermione slipping out.

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**Severus Snape**

'Severus?' asked Hermione tentatively.

Snape looked up from what he was writing. 'Yes?'

'Hi, I'm Hermione, and I was wondering if you would come with me.'

'Why?'

'There are things I have to show you, it's kind of complicated.'

Snape looked suspicious, 'Is this some stupid joke of Potters?'

'No, no, of course not.'

'What do you have to show me?' he asked still looking dubious.

'It's something about the future, your future.'

'How do you know about my future?'

'Like I said, it's complicated; I can explain better if you just come with me.'

'Isn't it dangerous to mess with time?'

'Yes,' Hermione sighed, 'but these are exceptional circumstances'

'But...?'

'Look,' she snapped, 'either you can come with me and I'll explain, or you can stay here and you will never know. I suggest you come with me.'

Snape narrowed his eyes but stood up.

'Thank you,' said Hermione sounding relieved. 'I knew you would be the most difficult,' she muttered quietly so Snape couldn't hear.

'What is he doing here?' James demanded when Snape walked in.

Lily was glaring at her former friend.

'I invited him! It's important that he's here. Now stop being childish.' snapped Hermione.

'But...' started James.

'Can you tell us why we are here now?' interrupted Lily looking annoyed at being stuck in a room with four of her least favourite people.

'Yeah I suppose I can,' said Hermione looking worried, 'I will explain, but I need you to just listen, ok? No interruptions.'

Everyone nodded.

'Ok, so here goes...'

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**Oh! I'm so mean XD The explaination is on its way! I should post it within the next few days.**

**Please review! I've never gotten a review, will you be my first ;)  
~AlwaysOpugno**


	3. Changing the Future

**Chapter 3! Whose excited? I am!  
Get reading then :P**

**Disclaimer ~ If you think I'm JKR, your sadly mistaken **

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**Changing the Future**

Hermione took a deep breath, and started talking in a businesslike tone. 'Ok, I'm Hermione and I'm from the future. I came here from the year 2020. A few years ago we, my friends and I, decided that what has happened could and should have been avoided, and ever since then we have been developing a new type of time-turner which allows us to travel further back in time than the usual few hours. It has taken 3 years, but here I am.  
'The aim of this trip is to read some books with you and for you to decide yourselves what you want to change. I have to say though that some of the things in these books, may upset you or cause you to get angry at each other, but I want you to promise that you won't react until the books are finished because some things aren't as they seem, Ok?'  
The group nodded, 'Good. I think that's everything, any questions?'

'What sort of things do we have to change?' asked Remus curiously

'I think the best way for you to know that is to read the books, if I try and explain it might get confusing or things might not be changed in the right way.' Remus nodded in reply.

'I thought it was dangerous to change the past' Lily stated, Severus grinned at her, for thinking in the same way.

'Normally it is, but one of the things about these new time-turners is that as soon as things start to change, a new 'dimension' is created. Therefore as soon as you start reading this reality is different to the one I came from, so anything you change will not affect us.'

'Then why do it?' Lily questioned.

'Because although things won't change for us, they will change for our counterparts in the new reality.'

'But...' Lily started.

'You don't understand yet' interrupted Hermione, 'Once you start reading you will realise why we have to do this, yes it won't actually affect us, but we can't let it happen.'

Lily nodded accepting what Hermione was saying because she looked so passionate about making these changes.

'Ok, so when do we start reading?' asked Sirius

'In a few minutes, we just have to wait for everyone else to get here; I need to send them a message. Hold on a moment.' Hermione walked through a door that had just appeared.

'I thought she said we were everyone she needed?' stated James looking confused.

'I did,' responded Hermione walking back in. 'Everyone from your time, but I have others from my time coming along because they have a right to know what happens.'

'So they don't know what happens in the books?'

'Well everyone knows parts, but no-one was there for the entire story.'

They nodded.

A small pop came from the new room, and Hermione got up and went in.

The people in the room sat in silence, each pondering what all this could mean, what happens that's so bad, how were they going to change it?

Hermione came back into the room followed by a crowd of people, who smiled at the younger group and sat down on the four new couches that appeared when they walked in.

'Right, introductions,' said Hermione, 'Ron Weasley, Neville Longbottom, Luna Lovegood, Ginny Weasley, Draco Malfoy...' The marauders looked shocked but Hermione ignored them, '... Teddy Chase and George Weasley.' She finished pointing at each person in turn. They had decided not to call Teddy a Lupin, so that he wouldn't ruin the surprise (they were all looking forward to Remus' reaction) and Harry was under his cloak so as not to ruin the ending by showing he was alive.

'Hi' chanted the students.

'Hermione, aren't you going to introduce us to them?' asked Ginny.

'Right,' Hermione replied sheepishly, 'Lily P-Evans, James Potter, Remus Lupin, Sirius Black and Severus Snape.' Luckily no-one from the past noticed her slipup with Lily's name.

'Are we ready to start reading then?' Neville asked quickly, he had noticed the slipup.

'Yeah I think so,' Hermione replied. 'Are you guys ready?' she asked the younger readers. 'You don't have to read with us by the way, you can leave, but we will have to wipe your memories.'

'I'll stay' said Lily

'Us too,' said James after sharing a look with his friends.

'I'll stay,' responded Severus.

'Great! I'll start,' she said pulling out 'Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone' from a beaded bag which looked much too small for a book to fit inside.

**Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone **she read

**The Boy who Lived**

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**Thankyou for reading XD **  
**To everyone who has added the story to their alerts, hugs and cookies are on there way! :D Thankyou**  
**Review! ~AlwaysOpugno**


	4. The Boy Who Lived

**Hello :) Remember me? I'm the horrible author who is posting a week and a half after she promised ... In my defence things have been much busier than expected... forgive me? I will try and post quicker from now on, but I'm making no promises (I've learnt my lesson :P) **

**Thankyou for coming back XD**

**Disclaimer - I own nothing! I dont own the story or the characters or the personalities... you might say I own what they say, but thats based on their personalities so thats still JKR's ... So yeah, NOTHING! XD**

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**The Boy Who Lived**

Hermione took a deep breath and started reading.

** Mr and Mrs Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say they were perfectly normal thank you very much. They were the last people you'd expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious, because they just didn't hold with such nonsense.  
** Sirius snorted, 'who wants to be normal, that's boring.' Lily and Severus rolled her eyes at him while James and Remus smirked.

** Mr Dursley was the director of a firm called Grunnings, which made drills. He was a big, beefy man with hardly any neck, although he did have a very large moustache. **

Lily frowned at the description.

'What are drills?' asked Draco.

'They are a type of Muggle tool.' Sirius responded shocking everyone, 'What? I took Muggle studies,' he responded defensively.

Hermione coughed, snapping everyone out of their shock, and continued to read.

** Mrs Dursley was thin and blonde and had nearly twice the usual amount of neck, which came in very useful as she spent so much of her time craning over garden fences, spying on the neighbours. **

'Oh god,' mumbled Lily putting her head in her hands.

** The Dursleys had a small son called Dudley and in their opinion there was no finer boy anywhere. **

Those who had met Dudley, raised their eyebrows at this.

** The Dursleys had everything they wanted, but they also had a secret, and their greatest fear was that someone would discover it. They didn't think they could bear it if anyone found out about the Potters.**

'Hey!' exclaimed James and Sirius.

Lily was quietly mumbling to herself, 'no, no, no, no...'

**Mrs Potter was in fact Mrs Dursleys sister,**

'Oh crap' Lily muttered, looking up in time to see the time-travellers smirks.

**But they hadn't met for several years; in fact, Mrs Dursley pretended she didn't have a sister, because her sister and her good-for-nothing husband were as unDursleyish as it was possible to be. **

Lily raised her eyebrows, 'Good for nothing, we finally agree on something.'

'Hey!' said James, still clueless.

**The Dursleys shuddered to think what the neighbours would say if the Potters arrived in the street. The Dursleys knew that the Potters had a small son, too, but they had never even seen him. This boy was another good reason for keeping the Potters away; they didn't want Dudley mixing with a child like that. **

Lily growled quietly, she may not be happy about marrying Potter but this child was still her son.

** When Mr and Mrs Dursley woke up on the dull, grey Tuesday our story starts, there was nothing about the cloudy sky outside to suggest that strange and mysterious things would be happening all over the country. Mr Dursley hummed as he picked out his most boring tie for work and Mrs Dursley gossiped away happily as she wrestled a screaming Dudley into his high chair.**

** None of them noticed a large tawny owl flutter past the window.**

'An owl? Have we gone completely mad! It's the middle of the day,' said Remus.

'Maybe something happened,' Lily replied.

** At half past eight, Mr Dursley picked up his briefcase, pecked Mrs Dursley on the cheek and tried to kiss Dudley goodbye but missed, because Dudley was now having a tantrum and throwing his cereal up the walls. **

Ginny narrowed her eyes at this, if any of her kids had tried that...

'**Little tyke,' chortled Mr Dursley as he left the house. He got into his car and backed out of number four's drive. **

** '**He's not even going to tell him off?' exclaimed Draco, 'What a bad father.' He didn't notice the look Ron was giving him.

** It was on the corner of the street that he noticed the first sign of something peculiar – a cat reading a map. **

The marauders looked at each other grinning.

**For a second, Mr Dursley didn't realise what he had seen – then he jerked his head around to look again. There was the tabby cat standing on the corner of Privet Drive, but there wasn't a map in sight. What could he have been thinking of? It must have been a trick of the light. Mr Dursley blinked and stared at the cat. It stared back.**

'The stare!' said Sirius dramatically, 'Run Dursley, run away!'

Hermione looked at him, torn between amusement and exasperation, and before continuing.

**As Mr Dursley drove around the corner and up the road, he watched the cat in his mirror. It was now reading the sign that said **_**Privet Drive – **_**no,**_** looking **_**at the sign; cats couldn't read maps **_**or **_**signs. Mr Dursley gave himself a little shake and put the cat out of his mind. **

'Idiot' was muttered by a few different people.

**As he drove towards town he thought of nothing except the large order of drills he was hoping to get that day. **

** But on the edge of town, drills were driven out of his mind by something else. As he sat in the usual morning traffic jam, he couldn't help noticing that there seemed to be a lot of strangely dressed people about. People in cloaks. Mr Dursley couldn't bear people who dressed in funny clothes – the get-ups you saw on young people! He supposed this was some stupid new fashion. **

'Stupid?' asked Draco.

'Well to Muggles it is,' answered Hermione.

**He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel and his eyes fell on a huddle of the weirdo's standing quite close by. They were whispering excitedly together. Mr Dursley was enraged to see that a couple of them weren't young at all; why, that man had to be older than he was, and wearing an emerald-green cloak! The nerve of him! But then it struck Mr Dursley that this was probably some silly stunt **

'Something serious must have happened, we wouldn't be being so obvious otherwise,' said Lily looking worried.

'I bet Voldemort's gone!' Sirius said excitedly.

'You're on! 5 Galleons' grinned James.

'You really shouldn't be being so immature about something that serious,' Lily said disapprovingly.

The boys ignored her.

– **these people were obviously collecting for something... yes, that would be it. The traffic moved on, and a few minutes later, Mr Dursley arrived in the Grunnings car park, his mind back on drills.**

** Mr Dursley always sat with his back to the window in his office on the ninth floor. If he hadn't, he might have found it harder to concentrate on drills that morning. **_**He **_**didn't see the owls swooping past in broad daylight, though people down in the street did; they pointed and gazed open-mouthed as owl after owl sped overhead. Most had never even seen an owl at night-time. Mr Dursley, however, had a perfectly normal, owl-free morning. He yelled at five different people. He made several important telephone calls and shouted a bit more. **

'What a pleasant man,' said George snorting.

**He was in a very good mood until lunch-time when he thought he'd stretch his legs and walk across the road to buy himself a bun from the baker's opposite.**

** He'd forgotten all about the people in cloaks until he passed a group of them next to the baker's. He eyed them angrily as he passed. **

'Charming,' said Teddy

**He didn't know why, but they made him uneasy. This lot were whispering excitedly, too, and he couldn't see a single collecting tin. It was on his way back past them, clutching a large doughnut in a bag, that he caught a few words of what they were saying.**

** 'The Potters, that's right, that's what I heard – ' **

** '– yes, their son, Harry –' **

** Mr Dursley stopped dead. Fear flooded him. He looked back at the whisperers as if he wanted to say something to them, but thought better of it. **

** He dashed back across the road, hurried up to his office, and snapped at his secretary not to disturb him, seized his telephone and had almost finished dialling his home number when he changed his mind. He put the receiver back down and stroked his moustache, thinking... no, he was being stupid. Potter wasn't such an unusual name. He was sure there were lots of people called Potter who had a son called Harry. Come to think of it, he wasn't even sure his nephew **_**was **_**called Harry. He'd never even seen the boy. It might have been Harvey. Or Harold.**

'He doesn't know his name!' said James sounding angry.

Lily smiled at him, 'he cares about our son,' she thought, 'even if he hasn't worked out I'm his wife yet.'

**There was no point in worrying Mrs Dursley, she always got so upset at any mention of her sister. He didn't blame her – if **_**he'd **_**had a sister like that... but all the same, those people in cloaks...**

** He found it a lot harder to concentrate on drills that afternoon, and when he left the building at five o'clock, he was still so worried that he walked straight into someone just outside the door. **

** 'Sorry,' he grunted, **

'He apologized!' exclaimed Ginny, 'I didn't know he knew how'

**as the tiny old man stumbled and almost fell. It was a few seconds before Mr Dursley realised that the man was wearing a violet cloak. He didn't seem at all upset at being almost knocked to the ground. On the contrary, his face split into a wide smile and he said in a squeaky voice that made passers-by stare: 'Don't be sorry, my dear sir, for nothing could upset me today! Rejoice, for You-Know-Who has gone at last! Even Muggles like yourself should be celebrating, this happy, happy day!'**

** '**Yes!' screamed Sirius

James reluctantly handed over the 5 Galleons, but he was grinning.

Lily, Remus and Severus, were smiling at the news.

** And the old man hugged Mr Dursley around the middle and walked off.**

** Mr Dursley stood rooted to the spot. He had been hugged by a complete stranger. He also thought he had been called a Muggle, whatever that was. He was rattled. He hurried to his car and set off home, hoping he was imagining things, which he had never hoped before, because he didn't approve of imagination.**

'How can you not approve of imagination?' asked Luna quietly. Everyone looked surprised, as they had forgotten she was there.

'Its Dursley,' answered Ron simply.

** As he pulled into the driveway of number four, the first thing he saw – and it didn't improve his mood – was the tabby cat he'd spotted that morning. It was now sitting on his garden wall. He was sure it was the same one; it had the same markings around the eyes. **

** 'Shoo!' said Mr Dursley loudly. **

** The cat didn't move. It just gave him a stern look. **

Remus smirked looking at his friends, 'familiar?'

**Was this normal cat behaviour, Mr Dursley wondered. Trying to pull himself together, as he let himself into the house. He was still determined not to mention anything to his wife.**

** Mrs Dursley had had a nice, normal day. She told him over dinner all about Mrs Next Door's problems with her daughter and how Dudley had learnt a new word ('Shan't!'). **

Everyone raised their eyebrows but didn't comment as they were getting quite used to the Dursleys at this point.

**Mr Dursley tried to act normally. When Dudley had been put to bed, he went into the living-room in time to catch the last report on the evening news: **

** 'And finally, bird-watchers everywhere have reported that the nation's owls have been behaving very unusually today. Although owls normally hunt at night and are hardly seen in daylight, there have been hundreds of sightings of these birds flying in every direction since sunrise. Experts are unable to explain why the owls have suddenly changed their sleeping pattern.' The news reader allowed himself a grin. 'Most mysterious. And now, over to Jim McGuffin with the weather. Going to be any more showers of owls tonight, Jim?' **

'One of us,' stated Severus simply.

'You think?' asked Lily,

'Well yeah, he seemed amused more than confused, it sounds like he's enjoying being in on it.'

** 'Well, Ted,' said the weatherman, 'I don't know about that, but it's not only the owls that have been acting oddly today. Viewers as far as Kent, Yorkshire and Dundee have been phoning in to tell me that instead of the rain I promised yesterday, they've had a downpour of shooting stars! Perhaps people have been celebrating Bonfire Bight early – it's not till next week, folks! But I can promise a wet night tonight.'**

** Mr Dursley sat frozen in his armchair. Shooting stars all over Britain? Owls flying by daylight? **

'We really aren't being very careful,'

'Hermione! You-know-who was gone!' said Ron looking at her in disbelief.

'No need to get ourselves discovered though, if we managed to hide _Voldemort _from them all these years, what's the point in being found out the second he's gone' she answered, stressing the name and enjoying Ron's flinch.

'What do you mean was?' asked Lily suspiciously

'Huh?'

'You said Voldemort _was_ gone, not is... does he come back?' she asked, looking worried, the others were looking scared, as they had just been celebrating his demise.

'Erm...' started Ron, as Hermione interrupted him be continuing reading.

**Mysterious people in cloaks all over the place? And a whisper, a whisper about the Potters... **

** Mrs Dursley came into the living-room carrying two cups of tea. It was no good. He'd have to say something to her. He cleared his throat nervously. 'Er – Petunia, dear – you haven't heard from your sister lately. Have you?' **

** As he expected, Mrs Dursley looked shocked and angry. After all, they normally pretended she didn't have a sister.**

** 'No,' she said sharply. 'Why?'**

** 'Funny stuff on the news,' Mr Dursley mumbled. 'Owls ... shooting stars... and there were a lot of funny-looking people in town today ...'**

'Funny looking, that must have been Sirius,' snorted James.

** '**_**So?**_**' snapped Mrs Dursley.**

** 'Well, I just thought ... maybe ... it was something to do with ... you know ... **_**her lot**_**.'**

There were a lot of raised eyebrows.

** Mrs Dursley sipped her tea through pursed lips. Mr Dursley wondered if he dared tell her he'd heard the name 'Potter'. He decided he didn't dare. Instead he said, as casually as he could, 'Their son – he'd be about Dudley's age now, wouldn't he?'**

** 'I suppose so,' said Mrs Dursley stiffly.**

** 'What's his name again? Howard, isn't it?'**

** 'Harry. Nasty, common name, if you ask me.'**

'Its better than Dudley!' Lily nearly yelled hotly.

'Why do you care?' asked James.

'Isn't it obvious...' started Remus before being silenced by a glare from Lily.

Hermione quickly started reading.

** 'Oh yes,' said Mr Dursley, his heart sinking horribly. 'Yes, I quite agree.' **

** He didn't say another word on the subject as they went upstairs to bed. While Mrs Dursley was in the bathroom, Mr Dursley crept to the bedroom window and peered down into the front garden. The cat was still there. It was staring down Privet Drive as though it was waiting for something. **

** Was he imaging things? Could all this have anything to do with the Potters? If it did ... if it got out that they were related to a pair of – well, he didn't think he could bear it. **

'I wouldn't want to be related to them either,' joked Sirius sticking his tongue out at James.

'You practically are related Padfoot, you've certainly moved in anyway.' James replied, also sticking out his tongue.

'Mature,' muttered Lily, 'and I'm going to marry that.'

** The Dursleys got into bed. Mrs Dursley fell asleep quickly but Mr Dursley lay awake, turning it all over in his mind. His last, comforting thought before he fell asleep was that even if the Potters **_**were**_** involved, there was no reason for them to come near him and Mrs Dursley. The Potters knew very well what he and Petunia thought about them and their kind ... He couldn't see how he and Petunia could get mixed up in anything that might be going on. He yawned and turned over. It couldn't affect **_**them... **_

** How very wrong he was.**

** Mr Dursley might have been drifting into an uneasy sleep, but the cat on the wall outside showed no sign of sleepiness. It was sitting as still as a statue, its eyes fixed unblinkingly on the far corner of Privet Drive. It didn't so much as quiver when a car door slammed in the next street, now when two owls swooped over head. In fact, it was nearly midnight before the cat moved at all. **

'I wonder what she's waiting for' mused Lily, no-one had an answer, or at least no-one was going to tell her.

** A man appeared on the corner the cat had been watching, appeared so suddenly and silently you'd have thought he'd just popped out of the ground. The cat's tail twitched and its eyes narrowed.**

** Nothing like this man had ever been seen in Privet Drive. **

Everyone grinned.

'3 guesses who,' said Teddy, who had heard a lot about the great man from his adopted family and grandmother.

**He was tall, thin and very old, judging by the silver of his hair and beard, which was long enough to tuck in his belt. He was wearing long robes, a purple clack which swept the ground and high-heeled buckled boots. His blue eyes were light, bright and sparkling behind half-moon spectacles and his nose was very long and crooked, as though it had been broken at least twice. This man's name was Albus Dumbledore.**

** Albus Dumbledore didn't seem to realise that he had just arrived in a street where everything from his name to his boots was unwelcome. He was busy rummaging in his cloak, looking for something. But he did seem to realise he was being watched, because he looked up suddenly at the cat, which was still staring at him from the other end of the street. For some reason, the sight of the cat seemed to amuse him. He chuckled and muttered, 'I should have known.'**

** He had found was he was looking for in his inside pocket. It seemed to be a silver cigarette lighter. He flicked it open, held it up in the air and clicked it. The nearest street lamp went out with a little pop. He clicked it again – the next lamp flickered into darkness, twelve times he clicked the Put-Outer, until the only lights left in the whole street were two tiny pinpricks in the distance, **

'Awesome! I want one!' yelled Sirius, not noticing Ron's smirk.

**which were the eyes of the cat watching him. If anyone looked out of their window now, even beady-eyed Mrs Dursley, they wouldn't be able to see anything that was happening down on the pavement. Dumbledore slipped the Put-Outer back inside his cloak and set off down the street towards number four, where he sat down on the wall next to the cat. He didn't look at it, but after a moment he spoke to it.**

** 'Fancy seeing you here, Professor McGonagall.'**

** He turned to smile at the tabby, but it had gone. Instead he was smiling at a rather severe-looking woman who was wearing square glasses exactly the shape of the markings the cat had had around its eyes. She, too, was wearing a cloak, an emerald green one. Her black hair was drawn into a tight bun.**

'When isn't it,' laughed James.

'Well, the readers don't know that, do they.' Responded Lily.

'Everyone knows that.'

'Muggles don't,' silencing James.

**She looked distinctly ruffled.**

** 'How did you know it was me?' she asked.**

** 'My dear Professor, I've never seen a cat sit so stiffly.'**

** 'You'd be stiff if you'd been sitting on a brick wall all day,' said Professor McGonagall.**

** 'All day? When you could have been celebrating? I must have passed a dozen feasts and parties on my way here.'**

** Professor McGonagall sniffed angrily**

** 'Oh yes, everyone's celebrating, all right,' she said impatiently. 'You'd think they'd be a little more careful, but no – even the Muggles have noticed something's going on. It was on their news.' She jerked her head back at the Dursleys' dark living-room window. 'I heard it. Flocks of owls ... shooting stars ... Well, they're not completely stupid. They were bound to notice something. Shooting stars down in Kent – I'll bet that was Dedalus Diggle he never had much sense.'**

** 'You can't blame them,' said Dumbledore gently. 'We've had precious little to celebrate for eleven years.'**

** 'I know that,' said Professor McGonagall irritably. 'But that's no reason to lose our heads. People being downright careless, out on the streets in broad daylight, not even dressed in Muggle clothes, swapping rumours.'**

** She threw a sharp, sideways glance at Dumbledore here, as though hoping he was going to tell her something, but he didn't, so she went on: 'A fine thing it would be if, on the very day You-Know-Who seems to have disappeared at last, the Muggle found out about us all. I suppose he really **_**has**_** gone, Dumbledore?**

** 'It certainly seems so,' said Dumbledore. 'We have much to be thankful for. Would you care for a sherbet lemon?'**

** 'A **_**what**_**?'**

** 'A sherbet lemon. They're a kind of Muggle sweet I'm rather fond of.'**

** 'No, thank you,' said Professor McGonagall coldly, as though she didn't think this was the moment for sherbet lemons. 'As I say, even if You-Know-Who **_**has**_** gone –'**

** 'My dear Professor, surely a sensible person like yourself can call him by his name? All this "You-Know-Who" nonsense**

'Here here!' the marauders shouted, earning themselves a few glares.

– **for eleven years I have been trying to persuade people to call him by his proper name: **_**Voldemort**_**.' Professor McGonagall flinched but Dumbledore, who was unsticking two sherbet lemons, seemed not to notice. 'It all gets so confusing if we keep saying "You-Know-Who".' I have never seen any reason to be frightened of saying Voldemort's name.'**

** 'I know you haven't,' said Professor McGonagall, sounding half-exasperated, half-admiring. 'But you're different. Everyone knows you're the only one You-Know – oh, all right, **_**Voldemort**_** – was frightened of.' **

** 'You flatter me,' said Dumbledore calmly. 'Voldemort had powers I will never have.'**

** 'Only because you're too – well – **_**noble**_** to use them.'**

** 'It's lucky its dark. I haven't blushed so much since Madam Pomfrey told me she liked my new earmuffs.'**

** '**I wonder what his earmuffs looked like,' Sirius contemplated.

** Professor McGonagall shot a sharp look at Dumbledore and said, 'The owls are nothing to the **_**rumours**_** that are flying around. You know what everyone's saying? About why he's disappeared? About what finally stopped him?'**

** It seemed that Professor McGonagall had reached the points she was most anxious to discus, the real reason she had been waiting on a cold hard wall all day, for neither as a cat nor a woman had she fixed Dumbledore with such a piercing stare as she did now. It was plain that whatever 'everyone' was saying, she was not going to believe it until Dumbledore told her it was true. Dumbledore, however, was choosing another sherbet lemon and did not answer.**

** 'What they're **_**saying**_**, 'she pressed on, 'is that last night Voldemort turned p in Godric's Hollow. He went to find the Potters. The rumour is that Lily and James Potter are**

'Ah crap!' yelled Lily, at the same time as James cheered, 'Yes! I knew it!' while everyone laughed at them, except for Severus who looked upset.

– **that they're – **_**dead**_**.'**

Everyone stopped grinning at the 'Potters' and Lily even looked up from her hands.

'What!' she demanded.

'Keep reading,' James told Hermione, shakily.

** Dumbledore bowed his head. Professor McGonagall gasped. **

** 'Lily and James ... I can't believe it ... I didn't want to believe it ... Oh, Albus ...'**

'It's nice to know she cares,' James said sadly.

'Your her favourite student, what do you expect?' asked Lily

'Her favourite? But she is always telling me off,'

'Maybe because you're always misbehaving.'

** Dumbledore reached out and patted her on the shoulder. 'I know ... I know ...' he said heavily.**

**Professor McGonagall's voice trembled as she went on. 'That's not all. They're saying he tried to kill the Potters' son, Harry.**

'tried?' asked Lily who had gone very pale.

**But – he couldn't. He couldn't kill the little boy. No one knows why, or how, but they're saying that when he couldn't kill Harry Potter, Voldemort's power somehow broke – and that's why he's gone.'**

'Your son killed Voldy! Shouted Sirius, forgetting the sad mood.

James and Lily smiled sadly.

** Dumbledore nodded glumly.**

** 'It's – it's **_**true**_**?' faltered Professor McGonagall. 'After all he's done ... all the people he's killed ... he couldn't kill a little boy? It's just astounding ... of all the things to stop him ... but how in the name of heaven did Harry survive?' **

** 'We can only guess,' said Dumbledore. 'We may never know.'**

** Professor McGonagall pulled out a lace handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes beneath her spectacles. Dumbledore gave a great sniff as he took out a golden watch from his pocket and examined it. It was a very odd watch. It has twelve hands but no numbers; instead, little planets were moving around the edge. It must have made sense to Dumbledore, though, because he put it back in his pocket and said, 'Hagrid's late. I suppose it was he who told you I'd be here, by the way?'**

** 'Yes,' said Professor McGonagall. 'And I don't suppose you're going to tell me **_**why **_**you're here, of all places?'**

'Don't you dare,' Lily growled dangerously.

** 'I've come to bring Harry to his aunt and uncle. **

'I'm going to murder him, how can he leave my son with them!'

**They're the only family he has left now.'**

'What? What about my parents?'

'I don't know Lily, we never found out.'

Lily looked away with tears in her eyes, 'We can change the future, they will be fine,' she muttered to herself.

** 'You don't mean – you **_**can't**_** mean the people who live **_**here**_**?' cried Professor McGonagall, jumping to her feet and pointing at number four. **

'You tell him Minni!' James shouted, looking as angry as Lily had.

'**Dumbledore – you can't. I've been watching them all day. You couldn't find two people who are less like us. And they've got this son – I saw him kicking his mother all the way up the street, screaming for sweets. Harry Potter come and live here!'**

** 'It's the best place for him,' said Dumbledore firmly. 'His aunt and uncle will be able to explain everything to him when he's older. I've written them a letter.' **

'Oh yes, that will explain everything! And of course they will give it to him.' Lily growled sarcastily.

** 'A letter?' repeated Professor McGonagall faintly, sitting back down on the wall. 'Really, Dumbledore, you think you can explain all this in a letter? These people will never understand him! He'll be famous – a legend – I wouldn't be surprised if today was known as Harry Potter Day in the future – there will be books written about Harry – ever child in our world will know his name!' **

'Harry Potter day?' Teddy asked the older time-travelers.

'Yeah, there was one for a while,' answered Ginny

'And Ginny was a big supporter of that holiday,' teased Ron.

Harry laughed quietly to himself under the cloak.

** 'Exactly,' said Dumbledore, looking very seriously over the top of his half-moon glasses. 'It would be enough to turn any boy's head. Famous before he can walk and talk! Famous for something he won't even remember! Can't you see how much better off he'll be, growing up away from all that until he's ready to take it?' **

'He's right, but there has got to be somewhere else. What about these idiots!' demanded Lily pointing towards Remus and Sirius.

'Hey,' pouted Sirius.

'She has a point, Sirius, why don't we have him?' Remus asked looking towards the adults.

'We can't really tell you...' Hermione said, 'You will find out soon.' And she quickly started reading again.

** Professor McGonagall opened her mouth, changed her mind, swallowed and then said, 'Yes – yes, you're right, of course. But how is the boy getting here, Dumbledore?' She eyed his cloak suddenly as though she thought he might be hiding Harry underneath it. **

Draco snorted, 'What?,' he asked those looking at him, 'it would be funny if, Dumbledore just said Taa-Daa and pulled him out of a pocket.'

** 'Hagrid's bringing him.'**

** 'You think it – **_**wise **_**– to trust Hagrid with something as important as this?'**

'I would trust Hagrid with my life,' most of the people in the room said.

** 'I would trust Hagrid with my life,' said Dumbledore.**

A few people smirked.

** 'I'm not saying his heart isn't in the right place,' said Professor McGonagall grudgingly, 'but you can't pretend he's not careless. He does tend to – what was that?'**

** A low rumbling sound had broken the silence around them. It grew steadily louder as they looked up and down the street for some sign of a headlight; it swelled to a roar as they both looked up at the sky – a huge motorbike fell out of the air and landed on the road in front of them.**

'Wow!' exclaimed Sirius.

** If the motorbike was huge, it was nothing to the man sitting astride it. He was almost twice as tall as a normal man and at least five times as wide. He looked simply too big to be allowed, and so **_**wild**_** – long tangles of bushy black hair and beard hid most of his face, he had hands the size of dustbin lids and his feet in their leather boots were like baby dolphins. **

'Thats not a bad description,' laughed Neville.

**In his vast, muscular arms he was holding a bundle of blankets.**

** 'Hagrid,' said Dumbledore, sounding relieved. 'At last. And where did you get that motorbike?'**

** 'Borrowed it, Professor Dumbledore, sir,' said the giant, climbing carefully off the motorbike as he spoke. 'Young Sirius Black lent it me. I've got him, sir.' **

'Awesome! That bike is mine!'

'If you were there why didn't you take Harry?' asked James.

Sirius stopped cheering and looked shocked, 'I don't know.'

** 'No problems, were there?' **

** 'No, sir – house was almost destroyed but I got him out of all right before the Muggles started swarmin' around. He fell asleep as we was flyin' over Bristol.'**

** Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall bent forward over the bundle of blankets. Inside, just visible, was a baby boy, fast asleep. Under a tuft of jet-black hair over his forehead they could see a curiously shaped cut, like a bolt of lightning.**

Lily smiled at the description of her son, 'He just has to look like you' she moaned at James, who grinned.

** 'Is that where - ?' whispered Professor McGonagall.**

** 'Yes,' said Dumbledore. 'He'll have that scar forever.'**

** 'Couldn't you do something about it, Dumbledore?'**

** 'Even if I could, I wouldn't. Scars can come in useful. I have one myself above my left knee which is a perfect map of the London Underground. **

'Does he ever get more... normal?' Remus asked fondly.

'No,' the time-travellers laughed.

**Well – give him here, Hagrid – we'd better get this over with.'**

** Dumbledore took Harry in his arms and turned towards the Dursleys' house. **

** 'Could I – could I say goodbye to him, sir?' asked Hagrid**

** He bent his great, shaggy head over Harry and gave him what must have been a very, scratchy, whiskery kiss. Then, suddenly Hagrid let out a howl like a wounded dog.**

'Aww Hagrid, you'll see him again,' reassured Lily making a mental note to be extra nice to Hagrid the next time she saw him.

** 'Shhh!' hissed Professor McGonagall whispered, patting Hagrid gingerly on the arm as Dumbledore stepped over the low garden wall and walked to the front door. He laid Harry gently on the doorstep, took a letter out of his cloak, tucked it inside Harry's blankets and then came back to the other two. For a full minute the three of them stood and looked at the little bundle; Hagrid's shoulders shook, Professor McGonagall blinked furiously and the twinkling light that usually shone from Dumbledore's eyes seemed to have gone out. **

The room was silent as everyone joined the Professors in their mourning.

** 'Well,' said Dumbledore finally, 'that's that. We've no business staying here. We may as well go and join the celebrations.'**

** 'Yeah,' said Hagrid in a very muffled voice. 'I'd best get this bike away. G'night, Professor McGonagall – Professor Dumbledore, sir.'**

** Wiping his streaming eyes on his jacket sleeve, Hagrid swung himself on to the motorbike and kicked the engine into like; with a roar it rose into the air and off into the night.**

** 'I shall see you soon, I expect, Professor McGonagall,' said Dumbledore, nodding to her. Professor McGonagall blew her nose in reply. **

** Dumbledore turned and walked down the street. On the corner he stopped and took out the silver Put-Outer. He clicked it once and twelve balls of light sped back to their street lamps so that Privet Drive glowed suddenly orange and he could just make out a tabby cat slinking around the corner at the other end of the street. He could just see the bundle of blankets on the step of number four.**

** 'Good luck, Harry,' he murmured. He turned on his heel and with a swish of his cloak he was gone.**

'He's going to need it,' muttered Ginny and the time-travellers who heard her grinned.

** A breeze ruffled the neat hedges of Privet Drive, which lay silent and tidy under the inky sky, the very last place you would expect astonishing things to happen. Harry Potter rolled over inside his blankets without waking up. One small hand closed on the letter beside him and he slept on, not knowing he was special, not knowing he would be woken in a few hours' time by Mrs Dursley's scream as she opened the front door to put out the milk bottles, nor that he would spend the next few weeks being prodded and pinched by his cousin Dudley ... He couldnt know that at this very moment, people meeting in secret all over the country were holding up glasses and saying in hushed voices: 'To Harry Potter – the boy who lived!'**

'That's the end of the chapter,' Hermione said quietly.

Everyone nodded silently trapped in their own thoughts.

'Can I read next?' asked Lily, breaking through the quiet.

Hermione nodded and handed over the book.

**The Vanishing Glass **Lily read

* * *

**What do you think of their reactions? Did I do anything well/badly?  
Please tell me what you think :)  
As soon as I click post, I will start work on the next chapter, if your lucky and nothing gets in the way, I might be able to post it later today :D Whoop **

**Thanks for reading  
~AlwaysOpugno**


	5. The Vanishing Glass

**I wanted to get this published before I went to bed so it might be a bit rushed, but I will edit it when I get the chance.**

**Disclamer - JKR owns all **

* * *

**The Vanishing Glass**

** Nearly ten years had passed since the Dursleys had woken up to find their nephew on the front step, but Privet Drive had hardly changed at all. The sun rose on the same tidy front gardens and lit up the brass number four on the Dursleys' front door; it crept into their living-room, which was almost exactly the same as it had been on the night when Mr Dursley had seen the fateful news report about the owls. Only the photographs on the mantelpiece really showed how much time had passed. Ten years ago, there had been lots of pictures of what looked like a large pink beach ball wearing different-coloured bobble hats – but Dudley Dursley was no longer a baby, and now the photographs showed a large, blond boy riding his first bicycle, on a roundabout at the fair, playing a computer game with his father, being hugged and kissed by his mother. The room held no sign at all that another boy lived in this house, too. **

** Yet Harry Potter was still there, asleep at the moment, but not for long. His Aunt Petunia was awake and it was her shrill voice which made the first noise of the day.**

'Ouch,' muttered Lily interrupting herself, 'That is never nice to wake up to.'

** 'Up! Get up! Now!'**

** Harry woke with a start. His aunt rapped on the door again.**

** 'Up!' she screeched. Harry heard her walking towards the kitchen and then the sound of the frying pan being put on the cooker. He rolled on to his back and tried to remember the dream he had been having. It had been a good one. There had been a flying motorbike in it. He had a funny feeling he'd had the same dream before.**

'That's cause it wasn't a dream it was a memory,' stated Sirius putting on a smart voice and a smug grin.

'You're talking to a book,' Remus said simply, making Sirius sit back and pout, and causing the others to laugh.

** His aunt was back outside the door.**

** 'Are you up yet?' she demanded.**

** 'Nearly,' said Harry.**

** 'Well, get a move on, I want you to look after the bacon. And don't you dare let it burn. I wasn't everything perfect on Duddy's birthday.**

** Harry groaned.**

** 'What did you say?' his aunt snapped through the door.**

** 'Nothing, nothing ...'**

** Dudley's birthday – how could her have forgotten? Harry got slowly out of bed and started looking for socks. He found a pair under his bed and, after pulling a spider off one of them, put them on. Harry was used to spiders, because the cupboard under the stairs was full of them, and that was where he slept.**

'He what?' yelled James, everyone else looked a mixture of anger and shock, Harry was glad he was hidden; he had 'accidentally' forgotten to mention this part of his childhood.

'They put him in the cupboard' Lily muttered dangerously, 'She might be my sister but ...' he voice disappeared into a quiet growl. No-one wanted to ask what she was saying.

** When he was dressed he went down the hall to the kitchen. The table was almost hidden beneath all Dudley's birthday presents. It looked as though Dudley had got the new computer he wanted, not to mention the second television and the racing bike. Exactly why Dudley wanted a racing bike was a mystery to Harry, as Dudley was very fat and hated exercise – unless of course it involved punching somebody. Dudley's favourite punch-bag was Harry, but he couldn't often catch him. Harry didn't look it, but he was very fast.**

No-one had anything to say, but if looks could kill the book would have been nothing but dust by now.

** Perhaps it had something to do with living in a dark cupboard, but Harry had always been small and skinny for his age. **

Lily growled again.

'Don't worry Lily, that's not because of the cupboard, James has always been small and skinny for his age.' Lily managed to throw a small smile at Sirius, before she continued reading.

**He looked even smaller and skinnier than he really was because all he had to wear were old clothes of Dudley's and Dudley was about four times bigger than he was. Harry had a thin face, knobbly knees, black hair and bright-green eyes. **

'Bright green,' Lily repeated smiling.

'Lucky kid doesn't look 100% like James then,'

'Remus! You're supposed to be my friend!' said James looking offended as Remus laughed.

**He wore round glasses held together with a lot of Sellotape because of all the times Dudley had punched him on the nose. The only thing Harry liked about his own appearance was a very thin scar on his forehead which was shaped like a bolt of lightning. **

The time-travellers laughed at this, they all knew how much Harry hated his scar now.

**He had had it as long as he could remember and the first question he could ever remember asking his Aunt Petunia was how he had got it.**

** 'In the car crash when your parents died,' she had said. 'And don't ask questions.'**

'Car crash,' said Lily murderously, 'things are not going to end well for her, when I get out of here'

_**Don't ask questions **_**– that was the first rule for a quiet life with the Dursleys.**

** Uncle Vernon entered the kitchen as Harry was turning over the bacon.**

** 'Comb your hair!' he barked, by way of a morning greeting.**

'It won't work,' sang Sirius

** About once a week, Uncle Vernon looked over the top of his morning newspaper and shouted that Harry needed a haircut. Harry must have had more haircuts than the rest of the boys in his class put together, but it made no difference, his hair simply grew that way – all over the place.**

'Sorry,' James muttered sheepishly, 'That's just the way it is.'

** Harry was frying eggs by the time Dudley arrived in the kitchen with his mother. Dudley looked a lot like Uncle Vernon. He had a large, pink face, not much neck, small, watery blue eyes and thick, blond hair that lay smoothly on his thick, fat head. Aunt Petunia often said that Dudley looked like a baby angel – Harry often said that Dudley looked like a pig in a wig.**

'Your kid is funny!' laughed Sirius, 'Looks like he didn't take after Lily too much.'

'Dear Merlin,' cursed Lily, 'This can't be a good thing,'

** Harry put the plates of egg and bacon on the table, which was difficult as there wasn't much room. Dudley, meanwhile, was counting his presents. His face fell.**

** 'Thirty-six,' he said, looking up at his mother and father. 'That's two less than last year.'**

** 'Darling, you haven't counted Auntie Marge's present, see, it's here under this big one from Mummy and Daddy.'**

** 'All right, thirty-seven then,' said Dudley, going red in the face. Harry, who could see a huge Dudley tantrum coming on, began wolfing down his bacon as fast as possible in case Dudley turned the table over.**

'He is actually complaining about 37!' George nearly yelled, '37!'

The other Weasley's looked furious as well, they were lucky to get 5 most years growing up.

** Aunt Petunia obviously scented danger too, because she said quickly, 'And we'll buy you another **_**two **_**presents while we're out today. How's that popkin? **_**Two**_** more presents. Is that all right?'**

** Dudley thought for a moment. It looked like hard work. Finally he said slowly, 'So, I'll have thirty... thirty...'**

'Thirty-nine' stated Sirius, looking smug again. A lot of eyes were rolled.

** 'Thirty-nine, sweetums,' said Aunt Petunia**

** 'Oh.' Dudley sat down heavily and grabbed the nearest parcel. 'All right then.'**

** Uncle Vernon chuckled.**

** 'Little tyke wants his money's worth, just like his father. Atta boy, Dudley!' He ruffled Dudley's hair.**

'He was proud of that behaviour,'

'I think they have an infestation of_Fandlabbering Feifinox's _they would cause this sort of behaviour' Luna stated dreamily.

'Erm, what?' asked Sirius, ignoring how all the time-travellers were drastically trying to tell him not to ask.

_'Fandlabbering Fiefinox's_ they are very small, so they are quite hard to see, but they release this gas that makes Muggles act like the Dursleys are acting right now.'

'Right,' Sirius nodded looking scared, those who were used to Luna were trying hard not to laugh.

** At that moment the telephone rang and Aunt Petunia -**

'A telephone is...'

'Hermione, did anyone even ask?' Said Ron sounding tired.

'No but I just thought some of them might not know,'

'I know,' said Draco

'Muggle Studies,' sang Sirius.

'I learnt so I could call Lily in the holidays,' grinned James.

'That was you!' Lily turned to James, 'Your the one who prank calls every summer?'

James just grinned and winked at her, 'You can't be mad at me, your my wife,'

'Not yet, I'm not,'

'Yet,' James sang happily.

Lily growled and continued reading, no-one noticed Severus' expression during this exchange.

**- went to answer it while Harry and Uncle Vernon watched Dudley unwrap the racing bike, a cine-camera, a remote control aeroplane, sixteen new computer games and a video recorder. He was ripping the paper off a gold wristwatch when Aunt Petunia came back from the telephone, looking both angry and worried.**

** 'Bad news, Vernon,' she said. 'Mrs Figg's broken her leg. She can't take him.' She jerked her head in Harry's direction.**

'So charming,' muttered Teddy.

** Dudley's mouth fell open in horror but Harry's heart gave a leap. Every year on Dudley's birthday his parents took him and a friend out for the day, to adventure parks, hamburger bars or the cinema. Every year, Harry was left behind with Mrs Figg, a mad old lady who lived two streets away. Harry hated it there. The whole house smelled of cabbage and Mrs Figg made him look at photographs of all the cats she'd ever owned.**

'That sounds fun,' said George sarcastically.

** 'Now what?' said Aunt Petunia, looking furiously at Harry as though he'd planned this. Harry knew he ought to feel sorry that Mrs Figg had broken her leg, but it wasn't easy when he reminded himself it would be a whole year before he had to look at Tibbles, Snowy, Mr Paws and Tufty again.**

'Original names,' grinned Sirius,

'Says the guy with the owl named Posty,' muttered Remus.

'Posty is a brilliant name for an owl!' Sirius defended, while the others laughed.

** 'We could phone Marge,' Uncle Vernon suggested.**

** 'Don't be silly, Vernon, she hates the boy.'**

** The Dursleys often spoke about Harry like this, as though he wasn't there – or rather, as though he was something very nasty that couldn't understand them, like a slug. **

'I shall call him Sluggy,' said Sirius

** 'What about what's-her-name, your friend – Yvonne?'**

** 'On holiday in Majorca,' snapped Aunt Petunia.**

** 'You could just leave me here,' Harry put in hopefully (he'd be able to watch what he wanted on television for a change and maybe even have a go on Dudley's computer).**

Ron looked at Hermione with his eyebrows raised seemingly waiting for her explanation, but Hermione just smiled slightly and stayed quiet.

** Aunt Petunia looked as though she'd just swallowed a lemon.**

'Ah, that look,' laughed Severus.

'She gives you that one quite a lot,' Lily grinned back, before frowning, she really did miss her best-friend but it was so hard to forgive him.

** 'And come back and find the house in ruins?' she snarled.**

** 'I won't blow up the house,' said Harry, but they weren't listening.**

'He totally should,'

'George Weasley don't you dare encourage my son in bad behaviour,'

George flinched back, 'This has already happened,' he reminded her, 'you're telling me not to encourage a book,'

'Wow that was brave,' James mumbled.

Lily shot them both a dirty look before looking back at the book.

** 'I suppose we could take him to the zoo,' said Aunt Petunia slowly, '... and leave him in the car... '**

** 'The car's new, he's not sitting in it alone ...'**

** Dudley began to cry loudly. In fact, he wasn't really crying, it had been years since he'd really cried, but he knew that if he screwed up his face and wailed, his mother would give him anything he wanted.**

'Brat,' was muttered all around the room.

** 'Dinky Duddydums, don't cry, Mummy won't let him spoil your special day!' she cried, flinging her arms around him.**

** 'I ... don't ... want ... him ... t-t-to come!' Dudley yelled between huge pretend sobs. 'He always sp-spoils everything!' He shot Harry a nasty grin through the gap in his mother's arms.**

'How can they let their kid get away with that!' exclaimed Remus, 'It's going to make him worse! Even I know how to raise a kid better than that!'

Teddy looked down sadly, Ginny reached out, gave his hand a squeeze and smiled at him, 'Changing the future, Ted.'

'Doesn't change anything for me though does it, and what if I'm never born?'

'It might not change things for you, but you will know that you've done something to make things better, and you will remember this time with him, once we've finished we can stay here for a while so you can get to know him. I know Harry wants to stay for his parents.'

Teddy sighed. Fortunately none of the students had noticed this exchange as Lily had continued to read.

** Just then, the doorbell rang – 'Oh, Good Lord, they're here!' said Aunt Petunia frantically – and a moment later, Dudley's best friend, Piers Polkiss, walked in with his mother. Piers was a scrawny boy with a face like a rat. He was usually the one who held people's arms behind their backs while Dudley hit them. Dudley stopped pretending to cry at once.**

** Half an hour later, Harry, who couldn't believe his luck, was sitting in the back of the Dursleys' car with Piers and Dudley, on the way to the zoo for the first time in his life. His aunt and uncle hadn't been able to think of anything else to do with him, but before they'd left, Uncle Vernon had taken Harry aside.**

** 'I'm warning you,' he had said, putting his large purple face right up close to Harry's, 'I'm warning you now, boy – any funny business, anything at all – and you'll be in that cupboard from now until Christmas,'**

'Don't you dare,' James growled.

** 'I'm not going to do anything,' said Harry, 'honestly ...' **

** But Uncle Vernon didn't believe him. No one ever did.**

** The problem was, strange things often happened around Harry and it was just no good telling the Dursleys he didn't make them happen.**

'Accidental magic,' grinned Lily, 'Muggles get a bit scared,'

'Tell me about it,' laughed Hermione.

**Once, Aunt Petunia, tired of Harry coming back from the barber's looking as though he hadn't been at all, had taken a pair of kitchen scissors and cut his hair so short he was almost bald except for his fringe, which she had left 'to hide that horrible scar'. Dudley had laughed himself silly at Harry, who spent a sleepless night imagining school the next day, where he was already laughed at for his baggy clothes and Sellotaped glasses. Next morning, however, he had got up to find his hair exactly as it had been before Aunt Petunia had sheared it off. He had been given a week in his cupboard for this, even though he had tried to explain that he **_**couldn't **_**explain how it had grown back so quickly.**

'Too bad kid,' laughed Sirius, 'That hair is a curse,'

'How would you know?' James asked Sirius, 'It's my hair'

'I have to listen to you moan about it,'

** Another time, Aunt Petunia had been trying to force him into a revolting old jumper of Dudley's (brown with orange bobbles). The harder she tried to pull it over his head, the smaller it seemed to become, until finally it might have fitted a glove puppet, but certainly wouldn't fit Harry. Aunt Petunia had decided it must have shrunk in the wash and, to his great relief, Harry wasn't punished.**

'She knows about accidental magic,' said Lily sounding angry, 'The number of times I showed her something I could do.'

'Like opening and closing a flower?' grinned Severus, cause Lily to blush.

'I didn't know you'd seen that one.' She answered, which cause Severus to blush as he realised he had just showed some of the extent of his spying.

James was frowning at this conversation, 'Are you going to keep reading?' he demanded.

Lily raised her eyebrows but carried on anyway.

** On the other hand, he'd got into terrible trouble for being found on the roof of the school kitchens. Dudley's gang had been chasing him as usual when, as much to Harry's surprise as anyone else's, there he was sitting on the chimney. The Dursleys had received a very angry letter from Harry's headmistress telling them Harry had been climbing school buildings. But all he'd tried to do (as he shouted at Uncle Vernon through the locked door of his cupboard) was jump behind the big bins outside the kitchen doors. Harry supposed that the wind must have caught him in mid-jump.**

'I've never heard of that happening,' Lily said sounding proud.

'He must have flown!' James sounded excited. Lily groaned, it seemed Harry was going to be just like his father.

** But today, nothing was going to go wrong. It was even worth being with Dudley and Piers to be spending the day somewhere that wasn't school, his cupboard or Mrs Figg's cabbage-smelling living-room.**

** While he drove, Uncle Vernon complained to Aunt Petunia. He liked to complain about things: people at work, Harry, the council, Harry, the bank and Harry were just a few of his favourite subjects. This morning, it was motorbikes.**

'He just loves Harry,' mumbled Remus sarcastically.

** '... roaring along like maniacs, the young hoodlums,' he said, as a motorbike overtook them.**

** 'I had a dream about a motorbike,' said Harry, remembering suddenly. 'It was flying.'**

** Uncle Vernon nearly crashed into the car in front. He turned right around in his seat and yelled at Harry, his face like a gigantic beetroot with a moustache, 'MOTORBIKES, DONT FLY!' **

'Mine does,' Sirius sang.

'Do you have to keep doing that?' asked Ginny.

'Yupp,'

** Dudley and Piers sniggered.**

** 'I know they don't,' said Harry. 'It was only a dream.'**

** But he wished he hadn't said anything. If there was one thing the Dursleys hated even more than his asking questions, it was his talking about anything acting in a way it shouldn't, no matter if it was in a dream or even a cartoon – they seemed to think he might get dangerous ideas.**

The marauders grinned, 'all the best ideas are dangerous' said James.

** It was a very sunny Saturday and the zoo was crowded with families. The Dursleys brought Dudley and Piers large chocolate ice-creams at the entrance and then, because the smiling lady had asked Harry what he wanted before they could hurry him away, they brought him a cheap lemon ice lolly. **

'I love the lemon ones,' said Luna dreamily.

**It wasn't bad either, Harry thought, licking it as they watched a gorilla scratching its head and looking remarkably like Dudley, except that it wasn't blond.**

Everyone laughed, 'not a bad description,' mused Ron.

** Harry had the best morning he'd had in a long time. He was careful to walk a little way apart from the Dursleys so that Dudley and Piers, who were starting to get bored with the animals by lunch-time, wouldn't fall back on their favourite hobby of hitting him. **

'That's it!' decided Lily, 'does anyone have any parchment and a quill?'

Hermione nodded, and pulled them out of her bag, after reaching in and losing her arm upto the elbow. 'What are you going to do?' she asked.

'I'm writing down everything bad they do to Harry, so I know exactly how much Petunia needs to be yelled at.'

'But you're supposed to be reading, you can't really do both,'

Lily frowned, thought for a moment, passed the book to Remus, and settled herself into a comfortable writing position, 'Remus can read,' she answered.

'Well if he can't, then he spends time in the library for no reason,' joked Sirius.

He received a glare or two.

Remus shrugged, opened the book and started reading.

**They ate in the zoo restaurant and when Dudley had a tantrum because his knickerbocker glory wasn't big enough, Uncle Vernon brought him another on and Harry was allowed to finish the first.**

** Harry felt, afterwards, that he should have known it was all too good to last.**

'This should be good,' muttered Neville.

** After lunch they went to the reptile house. It was cool and dark in here, with lit windows all along the walls. Behind the glass, all sorts of lizards and snakes were crawling and slithering over bits of wood and stone. Dudley and Piers wanted to see huge, poisonous cobras and thick, man-crushing pythons. Dudley quickly found the largest snake in the place. It could have wrapped its body twice around Uncle Vernon's car and crushed it into a dustbin – but at the moment it didn't look in the mood. In fact, it was fast asleep. **

'Ah sleep, my one true love,' Sirius said grinning to himself like an idiot.

'Right,' Remus rolled his eyes, and just kept reading.

** Dudley stood with his nose pressed against the glass, staring at the glistening brown coils.**

** 'Make it move,' he whined at his father. Uncle Vernon tapped on the glass, but the snake didn't budge.**

** 'Do it again,' Dudley ordered. Uncle Vernon rapped the glass smartly with his knuckles, but the snake just snoozed on.**

'Poor snake,' Neville muttered.

'Oh he feels sorry for _this_ snake.' Ginny muttered to Hermione causing Neville to blush.

'What?' asked James.

'Erm, you'll find out,' muttered Neville, still pink.

** 'This is boring,' Dudley moaned. He shuffled away.**

** Harry moved in front of the tank and looked intently at the snake. He wouldn't have been surprised if it had died of boredom itself – no company except stupid people drumming their fingers on the glass trying to disturb it all day long. It was worse than having a cupboard as a bedroom, where the only visitor was Aunt Petunia hammering on the door to wake you up – at least he got to visit the rest of the house. **

** The snake suddenly opened its beady eyes. Slowly, very slowly., it raised its head until its eyes were on a level with Harry's.**

_**It winked. **_

'It what!' yelled James.

** Harry stared. Then he looked quickly around to see if anyone was watching. They weren't. He looked back at the snake and winked, too.**

** The snake jerked its head towards Uncle Vernon and Dudley, then raised its eyes to the ceiling. It gave Harry a look that said quite plainly: '**_**I get that all the time**_**.'**

'It gets that all the time! Has Harry gone mad?' asked Sirius.

** 'I know,' Harry murmured through the glass, though he wasn't sure the snake could hear him. 'It must be really annoying.'**

** The snake nodded vigorously.**

** 'Where do you come from, anyway?' Harry asked.**

** The snake jabbed its tail at a little sign next to the glass. Harry peered at it.**

_**Boa Constrictor, Brazil**_**.**

** 'Was it nice there?'**

'Was it nice there?' Lily repeated faintly, 'He's either gone mad, or he's a parsletongue'

'He's not mad,' defended Ginny.

James raised his eyebrows at her, 'You are not telling me that my son is a parsletongue!'

'Yeah,' she answered simply

'Awesome!' he said, shocking everyone. The time-travellers had been scared he would react badly.

** The boa constrictor jabbed its tail at the sign again and Harry read on: **_**This specimen was bred in the zoo**_**. 'Oh, I see – so you've never been to Brazil?' **

** As the snake shook its head, a deafening shout behind Harry made both of them jump. 'DUDLEY! MR DURSLEY! COME AND LOOK AT THIS SNAKE! YOU WON'T BELIEVE WHAT IT'S DOING!'**

'Prat,' muttered Sirius, 'Harry was probably having the best conversation of his life, and you go and interrupt.'

** Dudley came waddling towards them as fast as he could.**

** 'Out of the way, you,' he said, punching Harry in the ribs. Caught by surprise, Harry fell hard on the concrete floor. **

Lily's quill scratched across the parchment.

**What came next happened so fast no one saw how it happened – one second, Piers and Dudley were leaning right up close to the glass, the next, they had leapt back with howls of horror. **

** Harry sat up and gasped; the glass front of the boa constrictor's tank had vanished. The great snake was uncoiling itself rapidly, slithering out on to the floor – people throughout the reptile house screamed and started running for the exits. **

'Brilliant!' exclaimed George, no-one heard a quiet chuckle coming from nowhere.

** As the snake slid swiftly past him, Harry could have sworn a low, hissing voice said, 'Brazil, here I come ... Thanksss, amigo.' **

** The keeper of the reptile house was in shock.**

** 'But the glass,' he kept saying, 'where did the glass go?'**

** The zoo director himself made Aunt Petunia a cup of strong sweet tea while he apologised over and over again. Piers and Dudley could only gibber. As far as Harry had seen, the snake hadn't done anything except snap playfully at their heels as it passed but by the time they were all back in Uncle Vernon's car, Dudley was telling them how it had nearly bitten off his leg, while Piers was swearing it had tried to squeeze him to death. **

'Prat' Sirius repeated

**But worst of all, for Harry at least, was Piers calming down enough to say, 'Harry was talking to it, weren't you, Harry?'**

'Double prat,'

**Uncle Vernon waited until Piers was safely out of the house before starting on Harry. He was so angry he could hardly speak. He managed to say, 'Go – cupboard – stay – no meals,' before he collapsed into a chair and Aunt Petunia had to run and get him a large brandy. **

'You had better feed him you..' Lily uttered a word that made James gasp, Lily was normally not one for bad language.

** Harry lay in his dark cupboard much later, wishing he had a watch. He didn't know what time it was and he couldn't be sure the Dursleys were asleep yet. Until they were, he couldn't risk sneaking to the kitchens for some food.**

The Marauders grinned again, this kid was going to follow in his fathers footsteps. Lily let this go because he needed to eat.

** He'd lived with the Dursleys almost ten years, ten miserable years, as long as he could remember, ever since he'd been a baby and his parents had died in that car crash. He couldn't remember being in the car when his parents had died. Sometimes, when he strained his memory during long hours in his cupboard, he came up with a strange vision: a blinding flash of green light and a burning pain on his forehead. This, he supposed, was the crash, though he couldn't imagine where all the green light came from. He couldn't remember his parents at all. His aunt and uncle never spoke of them, and of course he was forbidden to ask questions. There were no photographs of them in the house.**

Lily and James looked at each other sadly.

** When he had been younger, Harry had dreamed and dreamed of some unknown relation coming to take him away, but it had never happened; the Dursleys were his only family. Yet sometimes he thought (or maybe hoped) that strangers in the street seemed to know him. Very strange strangers they were, too. A tiny man in a violet top hat had bowed to him once while out shopping with Aunt Petunia and Dudley. After asking Harry furiously if he knew the man, Aunt Petunia had rushed them out of the shop without buying anything. A wild-looking old woman dressed all in green had waved merrily at him once on a bus. A bald man in a very long purple coat had actually shaken his hand in the street the other day and then walked away without a word. The weirdest thing about all these people was the way they seemed to vanish the second Harry tried to get a closer look. **

'He really is famous' laughed Remus, 'Everyone seems to love him, he's getting the attention James has always wanted'

'Hey' James said sounding offended.

** At school, Harry had no one. Everybody knew that Dudley's gang hated that odd Harry Potter in his baggy old clothes and broken glasses, and nobody liked to disagree with Dudley's gang.**

Lily's quill was scratching furiously.

'Me next?' asked James.

'But I only got a small part,' frowned Remus.

'Fine, but can I have it next time?'

'Sure,'

**The Letters from No-one**

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**Thanks for reading  
Please Review! Tell me where any mistakes are so I can easily edit :P **

**Credit must go to **_**Matt Dean**_** who gave me the name for the **_**Fandlabbering Feifinox's **_**– You were a great help! I'm not good at thinking of names XD  
**

**~AlwaysOpugno~**


	6. The Letters from Noone

**So... I'm really bad at updating... I'm trying my best :/ Hopefully as soon as I break up for the summer in a few weeks I should be able to write more, BUT I have run out of chapters I have already copied out, so I will have to write a lot more before updating... I'm not going to make any promises as for when I'm going to update again, although I will say I'm going to work on it as much as I can XD  
Thanks for sticking with me XD  
~AlwaysOpugno~**

* * *

**The Letters from No One**

'Sounds like Hogwarts' Sirius grinned excitedly.

** The escape of the Brazilian boa constrictor earned Harry his longest-ever punishment. **

Ginny let out a low growl, fortunately no one noticed as Lily had done the same thing.

**By the time he was allowed out of his cupboard again, the summer holidays had started and Dudley had already broken his new cine-camera, crashing his remote-control aeroplane and, first time on his racing bike, knocked down old Mrs Figg as she crossed Privet Drive on her crutches.**

'I'm guessing he didn't apologize' muttered Remus bitterly.

** Harry was glad school was over, but there was no escaping Dudley's gang, who visited the house every single day. Piers, Dennis, Malcolm and Gordon were all big and stupid, but as Dudley was the biggest and stupidest of the lot, he was the leader.**

'Sounds about right,' laughed James. Lily raised her eyebrows at him, 'What?'

'Nothing, just thinking,'

Remus laughed and continued reading, leaving James looking hurt and confused.

**The rest of them were all quite happy to join in Dudley's favourite sport: Harry-hunting.**

Remus stopped reading and looked up, waiting for an explosion. He didn't get one, Lily was writing frantically, James looked about ready to start his own list and everyone else just looked angry (except for Luna who was staring at the wall, in what seemed to be deep contemplation). No-one had anything to say anymore.

** This was why Harry spent as much time as possible out of the house, wandering around and thinking about the end of the holidays, where he could see a tiny ray of hope. **

'Hogwarts,' Neville grinned.

'He doesn't know that.' Severus stated, wiping the smile of his face. Neville never really got over his fear of the ex/soon-to-be potions master, although his confidence grew enormously after the war, he was unable to face his fear of Snape as this new confidence came too late.

**When September came he would be going off to secondary school and, for the first time in his life, he wouldn't be with Dudley. Dudley had a place at Uncle Vernon's old school, Smeltings. Piers Polkiss was going there, too. Harry, on the other hand, was going to Stonewall High, the local comprehensive. Dudley thought this was very funny.**

** 'They stuff people's head down the toilet first day at Stonewall,' he told Harry. 'Want to come upstairs and practice?' **

'Don't you dare,' growled James, before Lily got the chance.

** 'No thanks,' said Harry. 'The poor toilet's never had anything as horrible as your head down it – it might be sick.' Then he ran, before Dudley could work out what he'd said.**

'Good one,' Sirius laughed along with everyone else.

** One day in July, Aunt Petunia took Dudley to London to buy his Smeltings uniform, leaving Harry at Mrs Figg's. Mrs Figg wasn't as bad as usual. It turned out she'd broken her leg tripping over one of her cats and she didn't seem quite as fond of them as before. She let Harry watch television and gave him a bit of chocolate cake that tasted as though she'd had it for several years. **

Ron looked mortified, 'how does cake last that long?'

'Well it doesn't,' replied James, 'not if Sirius is around anyway,'

'Or Ron,' muttered Hermione.

** That evening, Dudley paraded around the living-room for the family in his brand-new uniform. Smeltings boys wore maroon tailcoats, orange knickerbockers and flat straw hats called boaters. They also carried knobbly sticks, used for hitting each other while the teachers weren't looking. This was supposed to be good training for later life.**

'Really? Good training?'

'Well, if you think about it, we have wands... they are far more dangerous.' Replied Hermione, this shut James up, briefly.

** As he looked at Dudley in his new knickerbockers, Uncle Vernon said gruffly that it was the proudest moment in his life. Aunt Petunia burst into tears and said she couldn't believe it was her Ickly Dudleykins, he looked so handsome and grown-up. Harry didn't trust himself to speak. He thought two of his ribs might already have cracked from trying not to laugh.**

'Why would you laugh?' asked Luna, 'they are lovely colours,'

'Who are you asking Luna?' asked Neville

'Harry,'

'Harry isn't here,'

'Oh, yeah, I forgot.'

'Where is Harry?' asked Lily suddenly, she had been so intent on the book she hadn't really noticed that he should be there.

'Erm,' started Hermione, looking desperately at the others.

'He couldn't make it.' Said Ron quickly.

'He couldn't make it?' repeated Remus, 'He couldn't come and see his parents who he never got to meet,' he finished sceptically.

'Where is he?' demanded James, looking worried.

'You'll find out when the books are finished,' answered Ginny.

'Why? Why can't you tell us now?'

'Because that would ruin the ending,'

'I don't care about that! Tell me where my son is!' yelled Lily.

'No.' Hermione said, 'We can't tell you, Remus please keep reading. No, Lily,' she said harshly when she opened her mouth to protest, 'I'm sorry, but you will just have to wait to find out.'

** There was a horrible smell in the kitchen next morning when Harry went in for breakfast. It seemed to be coming from a large metal tub in the sink. He went to have a look. The tub was full of what looked like dirty rags swimming in grey water. **

** 'What's this?' he asked Aunt Petunia. 'I'm dying some of Dudley's old things grey for you. It'll look just like everyone else's when I've finished.'**

** Harry seriously doubted this, but thought it best not to argue. He sat down at the table and tried not to think about how he was going to look on his first day at Stonewall High – like he was wearing bits of old elephant skin, probably.**

'That sounds lovely' said Luna sounding completely honest.

** Dudley and Uncle Vernon came in, both with wrinkled noses because of the smell from Harry's new uniform. Uncle Vernon opened his newspaper as usual and Dudley banged his Smeltings stick, which he carried everywhere, on the table.**

** They heard the click of the letter-box and flop of letters on the doormat.**

** 'Get the post, Dudley,' said Uncle Vernon from behind his paper. **

'He made Dudley get it?' said Severus sounding shocked. He seemed to be getting slightly more comfortable with talking around his ex-friend and rivals.

** 'Make Harry get it.'**

** 'Get the post, Harry.'**

'That's more like it,' he said receiving glares, 'I didn't say it was right' he defended, 'just that, that's more like Dursley,'

** 'Make Dudley get it.'**

** 'Poke him with your Smeltings stick, Dudley.'**

** Harry dodged the Smeltings stick and went to get the post. Three things lay on the doormat: a postcard from Uncle Vernon's sister Marge, who was holidaying on the Isle of Wight, a brown envelope that looked a bit like a bill and – a **_**letter for Harry**_**. **

Everyone grinned, and unconsciously leaned forward, excited.

** Harry picked it up and stared at it, his heart twanging like a giant elastic band.**

'He really is good with descriptions' mused Teddy.

**No one, ever, in his whole life, had written to him. Who would? He had no friends, no other relatives – he didn't belong to the library so he'd never even got rude notes asking for books back. **

'Thats really sad,' muttered Lily, 'He has no friends?'

'He will do soon,' grinned Ron, receiving a slap and a glare from Hermione for giving things away.

**Yet here it was, a letter, addressed so plainly there could be no mistake. **

_**Mr H. Potter**_

_** The Cupboard under the Stairs**_

_** 4 Privet Drive**_

_** Little Whinging**_

_** Surrey**_

'They knew he lived in a cupboard, but they did nothing!' growled James.

'They didn't know,' Hermione said sadly, 'It's an automated quill,' she continued quickly seeing he was about to interrupt. 'The quill records the birth of every magical child, and a letter gets sent out on their eleventh birthday, Muggle-borns are recorded in the same book but in a different way, so they stand out and can be properly informed when their turn comes, they tend to be told on the day after their eleventh birthday, so they can enjoy the day before they get the shock of their lives...' she took a deep breath to continue, but a nudge from Ron made her stop and become aware of her surroundings, it contained a lot of shocked faces.

'You get used to her,' laughed Ginny.

**The envelope was thick and heavy, made of yellow parchment, and the address was written in emerald-green ink. There was no stamp. **

'That's 'cause we don't need stamps,'

'Yes Padfoot, well done,' said James, tapping him on the head.

** Turning the envelope over, his hand trembling, Harry saw a purple wax seal bearing a coat of arms; a lion, an eagle, a badger and a snake surrounding a large letter 'H'.**

** 'Hurry up, boy!' shouted Uncle Vernon from the kitchen. 'What are you doing, checking for letter bombs?' He chuckled at his own joke.**

'That wasn't funny,' frowned James.

'Because you're a comic genius?' Lily asked sarcastically.

'Yes! I'm the best!'

This comment received a lot of sniggers.

'See? They laughed,'

Lily rolled her eyes, giggling.

** Harry went back into the kitchen, still staring at his letter. He handed Uncle Vernon the bill and the postcard, sat down and slowly began to open the yellow envelope.**

'Not at the table Harry,' moaned Neville.

** Uncle Vernon ripped open the bill, snorted in disgust and flipped over the postcard.**

** 'Marge's ill,' he informed Aunt Petunia. 'Ate a funny whelk ...'**

** 'Dad!' said Dudley suddenly. 'Dad, Harry's got something!' **

'Told you,'

** Harry was on the point of unfolding his letter, which was written on the same heavy parchment as the envelope, when it was jerked sharply out of his hand by Uncle Vernon.**

** 'That's **_**mine**_**!' said Harry, trying to snatch it back.**

** 'Who'd be writing to you?' sneered Uncle Vernon, shaking the letter open with one hand and glancing at it. His face went from red to green faster than a set of traffic lights. And it didn't stop there. Within seconds it was the greyish white of old porridge.**

'Attractive,' muttered Draco.

** 'P-P-Petunia!' he gasped.**

** Dudley tried to grab the letter to read it, but Uncle Vernon held it high out of his reach. Aunt Petunia took it curiously and read the first line. For a moment it looked as though she might faint. She clutched her throat and made a chocking noise. **

** 'Vernon! Oh my goodness – Vernon!'**

'This isn't going to go well,' muttered Lily, 'Petunia is going to pay for all this,'

After a glance at the others Hermione said, 'Lily, she hasn't actually done any of this yet. You cant be angry when it hasn't actually happened'

'Try me,' she growled, 'if something happened to her and her husband I would have looked after her son and treated him like my own, I wouldn't have locked him in a cupboard and refused to speak about her, and her world!'

James walked over and sat next to Lily, shockingly she didn't push him away, 'Lil? We can change all this remember? We will be there for our son; he will never have to go to that place.'

Lily nodded still angry but less so than before.

Remus continued reading and James stayed with Lily, no-one noticed the look Severus was giving James.

** They stared at each other, seeming to have forgotten that Harry and Dudley were still in the room. Dudley wasn't used to being ignored. He gave his father a sharp tap on the head with his Smeltings stick.**

** 'I want to read that letter,' he said loudly.**

** '**_**I **_**want to read it,' said Harry furiously, 'as it's **_**mine**_**.'**

** 'Get out, both of you,' croaked Uncle Vernon, stuffing the letter back inside its envelope.**

** Harry didn't move.**

** 'I WANT MY LETTER!' he shouted.**

'Mothers temper,' laughed Sirius, Lily threw a pillow at him.

** 'Let **_**me **_**see it!' demanded Dudley.**

** 'OUT!' roared Uncle Vernon, and he took both Harry and Dudley by the scruffs of their necks and threw them into the hall, slamming the kitchen door behind them. Harry and Dudley promptly had a furious but silent fight over who would listen at the keyhole; Dudley won, so Harry, his glasses dangling from one ear, lay flat on his stomach to listen at the crack between door and floor.**

** 'Vernon,' Aunt Petunia was saying in a quivering voice, 'look at the address – how could they possibly know where he sleeps? You don't think they're watching the house?'**

** 'Watching – spying – might be following us,' muttered Uncle Vernon wildly.**

'Paranoid much,'

'But the ministry watches every house with a magical occupant,' said Luna still staring at the wall, 'They don't want people to know, but they always have at least one agent watching. Daddy and I caught ours a few years ago, he claimed to be looking to buy some dirigible plums but no-one ever buys them, so he must have been lying.'

Remus coughed awkwardly before continuing.

** 'But what should we do, Vernon? Should we write back? Tell them we don't want -' **

** Harry could see Uncle Vernon's shiny black shoes pacing up and down the kitchen. **

** 'No,' he said finally. 'No, we'll ignore it. If they don't get an answer... yes, that's best ... we won't do anything...'**

** 'But –'**

** 'I'm not having one in the house, Petunia! Didn't we swear when we took him in we'd stamp out that dangerous nonsense?' **

'Stamp out, is that even possible?'

'Because they are the world best thinkers,' replied Ron sarcastically.

** That evening when he got back from work, Uncle Vernon did something he'd never done before; he visited Harry in his cupboard. **

'Did he fit?' asked Teddy.

** 'Where's my letter?' said Harry, the moment Uncle Vernon had squeezed through the door. **

'Apparently not very well,' laughed Remus. Teddy's eyes widened and he grinned at his father.

'**Who's writing to me?'**

** 'No one. It was addressed to you by mistake,' said Uncle Vernon shortly. 'I have burned it.'**

** 'It was **_**not**_** a mistake,' said Harry angrily. 'It had my cupboard on it.'**

** 'SILENCE!' yelled Uncle Vernon, and a couple of spiders fell from the ceiling. **

Ron shuddered.

**He took a few deep breaths and then forced his face into a smile, which looked quite painful.**

** 'Er – yes, Harry – about this cupboard. Your aunt and I have been thinking ... you're really getting a bit big for it ... we think it might be nice if you moved into Dudley's second bedroom.'**

'Second bedroom!' Lily exploded. 'That brat has 2 rooms! And my son lives in a cupboard! How could they, I know Petunia hates me but how could you be so horrible to a child! And where are you too?' she turned on Remus and Sirius who leaned back looking scared. 'Why are you letting him live there! You should have gone and got him! You would have been so much better! Yes, Sirius even you, you might be immature and irresponsible but you would actually care about him!'

'Lily?' Remus asked quietly.

'What?'

'We don't know where we are, maybe we will find out, but yelling about it isn't going to help. You have to stop reacting so badly, yes it's not acceptable, but things will change. Can I keep reading now?' he asked rather bravely. Lily nodded stiffly sitting back down.

** 'Why?' said Harry.**

** 'Don't ask questions!' snapped his uncle. 'Take this stuff upstairs, now.'**

** The Dursleys' house had four bedrooms: one for Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia, one for visitors (usually Uncle Vernon's sister, Marge), one where Dudley slept and one where Dudley kept all the toys and things that wouldn't fit into his first bedroom. It only took Harry one trip upstairs to move everything he owned from the cupboard to this room. He sat down on the bed and stared around him. Nearly everything in here was broken. The month-old cine-camera was lying on top of a small, working tank Dudley had once driven over next dppr's dog; in the corner was Dudley's first-ever television set, which he'd put his foot through when his favourite programme had been cancelled; there was a large bird cage which had once held a parrot that Dudley had swapped at school for a real air-rifle, which was up on a shelf with the end all bent because Dudley had sat on it. Other shelves were full of books. They were the only things in the room that looked as though they'd never been touched.**

Hermione looked mortified, she wasn't the only one, Remus and Lily were looking shocked that anyone would pass up on reading as well.

** From downstairs came the sound of Dudley bawling at his mother: 'I don't **_**want **_**him in there ... I **_**need **_**that room ... make him get out... '**

** Harry sighed and stretched out on the bed. Yesterday he'd have given anything to be up here. Today he'd rather be back in his cupboard with that letter than up here without it.**

** Next morning at breakfast, everyone was rather quiet. Dudley was in shock. He'd screamed, whacked his father with his Smeltings stick, been sick on purpose, kicked his mother and thrown his tortoise through the greenhouse roof and he still didn't have his room back. Harry was thinking about this time yesterday and bitterly wishing he'd opened the letter in the hall. Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia kept looking at each other darkly.**

Lily let out a low growl but didn't say anything, although she did pull out the quill again.

** When the post arrived, Uncle Vernon, who seemed to be trying to be nice to Harry, made Dudley go and get it. They heard him banging things with his Smeltings stick all the way down the hall. Then he shouted, 'There's another one! **_**Mr H. Potter, The Smallest Bedroom, 4 Privet Drive**_** –'**

** With a strangled cry, Uncle Vernon leapt from his seat and ran down the hall, Harry right behind him. Uncle Vernon had to wrestle Dudley to the ground to get his letter from him, which was made difficult by the fact that Harry had grabbed Uncle Vernon around the neck from behind. After a minute of confused fighting, in which everyone got hit a lot by the Smeltings stick, Uncle Vernon straightened up, gasping for breath, with Harry's letter clutched in his hand.**

'Damn,'

** 'Go to your cupboard – I mean, your bedroom,' he wheezed at Harry. 'Dudley – go – just go.'**

** Harry walked round and round his new room. Someone knew he had moved out of his cupboard and they seemed to know he hadn't received his first letter. Surely that meant they'd try again? And this time he'd make sure they didn't fail. He had a plan.**

'Oh no,' sighed Lily, 'If it's a 'potter' plan, it's bound to fail'

'Our plans are great,' James pouted.

'What about that one where you planned on kidnapping my cat so you would draw me into a trap to rescue him where my only option would be to go out with you,'

'Exactly, our plans are great,'

'My cat scratched the crap out of you, and you fell down the stairs.'

'Not my fault your cat is evil,' muttered James, 'The plan itself was great,'

** The repaired alarm clock rang at six o'clock the next morning. Harry turned it off quickly and dressed silently. He mustn't wake the Dursleys. He stole downstairs without turning on any of the lights. **

** He was going to wait for the postman on the corner of Privet Drive and get the letters for number four first. His heart hammered as he crept across the dark hall towards the front door – **

** 'AAAAARRRGH!'**

** Harry leapt into the air – he'd trodden on something big and squashy on the doormat – something **_**alive**_**! **

Sniggering broke out, 'At least you got to step on him,' laughed Severus.

** Lights clicked on upstairs and to his horror Harry realised that the big squashy something had been his uncle's face. Uncle Vernon had been lying at the foot of the front door in a sleeping bag, clearly making sure that Harry didn't do exactly what he's been trying to do. **

'Your son was outsmarted by a walrus,' sighed Sirius, shaking his head.

**He shouted at Harry for about half an hour and then told him to go and make a cup of tea. Harry shuffled miserably off into the kitchen, and by the time he got back, the post had arrived, right into Uncle Vernon's lap. Harry could see three letters addressed in green ink.**

'Three?' asked James, 'this could be interested,' he finished with a smirk.

** 'I want –'he began, but Uncle Vernon was tearing the letters into pieces before his eyes.**

** Uncle Vernon didn't go to work that day. He stayed at home and nailed up the letter-box.**

** 'See,' he explained to Aunt Petunia through a mouthful of nails, 'if they can't **_**deliver **_**them they'll just give up.'**

'Good plan,' smirked Sirius.

** 'I'm not sure that'll work, Vernon.'**

** 'Oh, these people's minds work in strange ways, Petunia, they're not like you and me,' said Uncle Vernon, trying to knock in a nail with the piece of fruit cake Aunt Petunia had just brought him. **

** On Friday, no fewer than twelve letters arrived for Harry. **

James chuckled quietly, 'really interesting,'

**As they couldn't go through the letter-box they had been pushed under the door, slotted through the sides and a few ever forced through the small window in the downstairs toilet.**

** Uncle Vernon stayed home again. After burning all the letters, he got out a hammer and nails and boarded up the cracks around the front and back doors so no one could go out. He hummed 'Tiptoe throught the Tulips' as he worked, and jumped at small noises.**

'Oh, I love that song,' said Luna, who proceeded to hum it quietly.

'I knew it was a good idea to bring her along,' chuckled Ron.

** On Saturday, things began to get out of hand. Twenty-four letters to Harry found their way into the house, rolled up and hidden inside each of the two dozen eggs that their very confused milkman had handed Aunt Petunia through the living-room window. **

'Creative,' laughed James, who was starting to get a very good idea as to how this was going to end.

**While Uncle Vernon made furious telephone calls to the post office and the dairy trying to find someone to complain to, Aunt Petunia shredded the letters in her food mixer.**

** 'Who on earth wants to talk to **_**you **_**this badly?' Dudley asked Harry in amazement.**

** On Sunday morning, Uncle Vernon sat down at the breakfast table looking tired and rather ill, but happy.**

** 'No post on Sundays,' he reminded them happily as he spread marmalade on his newspapers, 'no damn letters today – ' **

** Something came whizzing down the kitchen chimney as he spoke and caught him sharply on the back of the head. Next moment, thirty or forty letters came pelting out of the fireplace like bullets. The Dursleys ducked but Harry leapt into the air trying to catch one – **

James was laughing openly now, this was better than he had thought.

'**Out! OUT!' **

** Uncle Vernon seized Harry around the waist and threw him into the hall. When Aunt Petunia and Dudley had run out with their arms over their faces, Uncle Vernon slammed the door shut. They could hear the letters still streaming into the room, bouncing off the walls and floor.**

** 'That does it,' said Uncle Vernon, trying to speak calmly but pulling great tufts out of his moustache at the same time. 'I want you all back here in five minutes, ready to leave. We're going away. Just pack some clothes. No arguments!'**

'They will fill your house with letters but they won't follow you if you leave? Good logic' laughed Remus.

** He looked so dangerous with half his moustache missing that no one dared argue. Ten minutes later they had wrenched their way through the boarded-up doors and were in the car, speeding towards the motorway. Dudley was sniffling in the back seat; his father had hit him round the head for holding them up while he tried to pack his television, video and computer in his sports bag.**

** They drove. And they drove. Even Aunt Petunia didn't dare ask where they were going. Every now and then Uncle Vernon would take a sharp turning and drive in the opposite direction for a while.**

** 'Shake 'em off ... shake 'em off,' he would mutter whenever he did this.**

** They didn't stop to eat or drink all day. By nightfall Dudley was howling. He'd never had such a bad day in his life. He was hungry, he'd never missed five television programmes he'd wanted to see and he'd never gone so long without blowing up an alien on his computer.**

'oh no... imagine that, the horror.'

** Uncle Vernon stopped at last outside a gloomy-looking hotel on the outskirts of a big city. Dudley and Harry shared a room with twin beds and damb, musty sheets. Dudley snored but Harry stayed awake, sitting on the window-sill, staring down at the lights of passing cars and wondering... **

**They ate stale cornflakes and cold tinned tomatoes on toast for breakfast next day. They had just finished when the owner of the hotel came over to their table. **

** ' 'Scuse me, but is one of you Mr H. Potter? Only I got about an 'undred of these at the front desk.'**

** She held up a letter so they could read the green ink address:**

** Mr H. Potter**

** Room 17**

** Railview Hotel**

** Cokeworth**

** Harry made a grab for the letter but Uncle Vernon knocked his hand out of the way. The woman stared, **

** 'I'll take them.' Said Uncle Vernon, standing up quickly and following her from the dining-room.**

'Will he ever get these letters'

'**Wouldn't it be better just to go home, dear?' Aunt Petunia suggested timidly, hours later, but Uncle Vernon didn't seem to hear her. Exactly what he was looking for, none of them knew. He drove them to the middle of a forest, got out, looked around, shook his head, got back in the car and off they went again. **

'At least you didn't camp,' muttered Ron, causing Hermione to laugh, which she managed to disguise as a cough.

**The same thing happened in the middle of a ploughed field, halfway across the suspension bridge and at the top of a multi-story car park.**

** 'Daddy's gone mad, hasn't he?' Dudley asked Aunt Petunia dully late that afternoon. Uncle Vernon had parked at the coast, locked them all inside the car and disappeared.**

** It started to rain. Great drops beat on the roof of the car. Dudley snivelled.**

** 'It's Monday,' he told his mother. 'The Great Humberto's on tonight. I want to stay somewhere with a**_** television**_**.'**

** Monday. This reminded Harry of something. If it was Monday – and you could usually count on Dudley to know the days of the week, because of television – then tomorrow, Tuesday, was Harry's eleventh birthday. **

'They started sending the letters early didn't they?'

'I think they must have known there would be problems,' Hermione answered Lily.

**Of course, his birthday were never exactly fun – last year, The Dursleys had given him a coat-hanger and a pair of Uncle Vernon's old sock. **

Remus waited until Lily had finished writing before continuing.

**Still, you weren't eleven every day.**

** Uncle Vernon was back and he was smiling. He was also carrying a long thin package and didn't answer Aunt Petunia when she asked what he'd brought.**

** 'Found the perfect place!' he said. 'Come on! Everyone out!'**

** It was very cold outside the car. Uncle Vernon was pointing at what looked like a large rock way out at sea. Perched on top of the rock was the most miserable little shack you could imagine. **

'Is that safe?' worried Lily.

**One thing was certain, there was no television in there.**

** 'Storm forecast for tonight!' said Uncle Vernon gleefully, clapping his hands together. 'And this gentleman's kindly agreed to lend us his boat!'**

'No then,' she answered her own question, sighing.

** A toothless old man came ambling up to them, pointing, with a rather wicked grin, at an old rowing boat bobbing in the iron-grey water below them.**

** 'I've already got us some rations,' said Uncle Vernon, 'so all aboard!'**

** It was freezing in the boat. Icy sea spray and rain crept down their necks and a chilly wind whipped their faces. After what seemed like hours they reached the rock, where Uncle Vernon, slipping and sliding, led the way to the broken-down house.**

** The inside was horrible; it smelled strongly of seaweed, the wind whistled through the gaps in the wooden walls and the fireplace was damp and empty. There were only two rooms.**

'Sounds like a palace' frowned James, trying to joke but worrying about his son.

** Uncle Vernon's rations turned out to be a packet of crisps each and four bananas. He tried to start a fire but the empty crisp packets just smoked and shrivelled up.**

** 'Could do with some of those letters now, eh?' he said cheerfully.**

** He was in a very good mood. Obviously he thought nobody stood in chance of reaching them here in a storm to deliver post. Harry privately agreed, though the thought didn't cheer him up at all.**

'Don't underestimate Hogwarts, kiddo,' grinned Sirius.

'Kiddo?' asked Lily

'I thought he needed a nickname.'

'... Kiddo?'

'Fine, I'll keep thinking,'

'Don't hurt yourself.'

** As night fell, the promised storm blew up around them. Spray from the high waves splattered the walls of the hut and a fierce wind rattled the filthy windows. Aunt Petunia found a few mouldy blankets on the second room and made a bed up for Dudley on the moth-eaten sofa. She and Uncle Vernon went off to the lumpy bed next door and Harry was left to find the softest bit of floor he could and to curl up under the thinnest, most ragged blanket.**

Lily growled as she wrote, looking close to tears in her anger.

** The storm raged more and more ferociously as the night went on. Harry couldn't sleep. He shivered and turned over, trying to get comfortable, his stomach rumbling with hunger. Dudley's snores were drowned by the low rolls of thunder that started near midnight. The lighted dial of Dudley's watch, which was dangling over the edge of the sofa on his fat wrist, told Harry he'd be eleven in ten minutes' time. He lay and watched his birthday tick nearer, wondering if the Dursleys would remember at all, wondering where the letter-writer was now.**

** Five minutes to go. Harry heard something creak outside. He hoped the roof wasn't going to fall in, although he might be warmer if it did. Four minutes to go. Maybe the house in Privet Drive would be so full of letters when they got back that he'd be able to steal on somehow.**

** Three minutes to go. Was that the sea, slapping hard on the rock like that? And (two minutes to go) what was that funny crunching noise? Was the rock crumbling into the sea? **

** One minute to go and he'd be eleven. Thirty seconds ... twenty ... ten – nine – maybe he would wake Dudley up, just to annoy him – three – two – one – **

** BOOM.**

** The whole shack shivered and Harry sat bolt upright, staring at the door. Someone was outside, knocking to come in.**

'Yeah!' cheered Sirius, 'They have finally come to get you!'

Even Lily laughed along with Sirius, looking relieved that her son was being rescued.

'Who wants to read next?' asked Remus.

'Me! Me! Its my turn!' Yelled James. Remus passed over the book looking scared at the enthusiasm.

* * *

**Aren't I mean :P I know a lot of you want Harry to be revealed but, I think it works out better for the story if he stays hidden... at least for the time being. I don't know when or even if he will be discovered because, I don't actually have a plan, I just read the words and let my hands do the talking :P Probably not the best way to write but it works for me :D Anyway... He might come out, he might not :P **

**Quick question, - I don't read aloud very often so I don't know how long it takes... anyone who does read aloud, how long do you think it would take to read one of the chapters? Cause I want to get a time-frame going... like when they eat/sleep/ect  
Help is appreciated and credited! XD  
Review!  
~AlwaysOpugno~**


	7. The Keeper of the Keys

**Ok, so I know its been ages and I'm not even going to bother with an excuse, I'm just lazy :P  
This chapter was difficult to write, I'm not sure why I just had no ideas, so I just posted it ... If you see any mistakes or it doesnt make sense let me know :P **

**Read! (Please)**

Disclaimer - Yes, I'm Jk, I live in a massive house in scotland and I have more money than god...

* * *

**The Keeper of the Keys**

James took the book from Remus, and spent a few minutes wriggling and clearing his throat before starting to read after he noticed everyone glaring at him.

**BOOM. They knocked again. Dudley jerked awake.**

** 'Where's the canon?' he said stupidly.**

** There was a crash behind them and Uncle Vernon came skidding into the room. He was holding a rifle in his hands – now they knew what was in the long, thin package he had brought with them.**

'He had a rifle!' screeched Lily, looking round for her parchment, 'Wheres...' she stopped seeing as James had took it and had already written down this newest offence. 'Thankyou' she said softly and James smiled sadly at her.

'The list is getting quite long,' he said to Lily, who nodded and looked down sadly, 'we are changing it remember,' he said softly, trying to convince himself as much as her.

'What's a rifle?' Draco said interrupting the moment.

'It's a Muggle weapon,' Teddy said quickly before Hermione could explain with all the small details and history's, 'It causes a bullet, which is a small peice of metal, to be thrown at the target at high speeds, this means it can go through flesh and can kill if used correctly and aimed in the right place.'

'Lovely,' muttered Draco.

** 'Who's there?' he shouted. 'I warn you – I'm armed!'**

** There was a pause. Then –**

** SMASH!**

** The door was hit with such force that it swung clean off its hinges and with a deafening crash landed flat on the floor.**

'Go Hagrid!' cheered Sirius.

'How do you know its Hagrid?'

'Lily, Lily, Lily, who else could knock a door out of its frame?'

'I haven't met everyone.'

'I still think it's Hagrid. 5 Galleons?'

Lily narrowed her eyes, 'Fine.'

** A giant of a man was standing on the doorway. His face was almost completely hidden by a long, shaggy mane of hair and a wild, tangled beard, but you could make out his eyes, glinting like black beetles under all the hair.**

Sirius waggled his eyebrows at Lily.

'It didn't mention a name,' she said stubbornly.

'You know as well as I do that that is his description.

Lily crossed her arms, and waited for James to keep reading.

** The giant squeezed his way into the hut, stooping so that his head just brushed the ceiling. He bent down, picked up the door and fitted it easily back into its frame. The noise of the storm outside dropped a little. He turned to look at them all.**

** 'Couldn't make us a cup o' tea, could yeh? It's not been an easy journey ...'**

'Sounds like Hagrid,' coughed Sirius, Lily ignored him, but looked worried.

** He strode over to the sofa where Dudley sat frozen with fear. **

** 'Budge up, yeh great lump,' said the stranger.**

** Dudley squeaked and ran to hide behind his mother, who was crouching, terrified, behind Uncle Vernon.**

** 'An' here's Harry!' said the giant.**

** Harry looked up into the fierce, wild, shadowy face and saw that the beetle eyes were crinkled in a smile.**

** 'Las' time I saw you, you was only a baby,' said the giant. 'Yeh look a lot like yer dad, but yeh've got yer mum's eyes.'**

** Uncle Vernon made a funny rasping noise.**

** 'I demand that you leave at once, sir!' he said. 'You are breaking and entering!'**

** 'Ah, shut up, Dursley, yeh great prune,' said the giant. He reached over the back of the sofa, jerked the gun out of Uncle Vernon's hands, bent it into a knot as easily as if it had been made of rubber, and threw it into a corner of the room.**

** Uncle Vernon made another funny noise, like a mouse being trodden on.**

** 'Anyway – Harry,' said the giant, turning his back on the Dursleys, 'a very happy birthday to yeh. Got sommat fer yeh here – I mighta sat on it at some point, but it'll taste all right.'**

** From an inside pocket of his black overcoat he pulled a slightly squashed box. Harry opened it with trembling fingers. Inside was a large, sticky chocolate cake with **_**Happy Birthday Harry **_**written on it in green icing.**

'He got him a cake,' smiled Lily, passing over the 5 galleons, 'I'll accept its Hagrid, only he would have made Harry a cake.'

** Harry looked up at the giant. He meant to say thank you, but the words got lost on the way to his mouth, and what he said instead was, 'Who are you?'**

'Definatly James' who else would be that rude,' laughed Sirius.

James glared at him, 'Wouldn't you be a bit rude if a random giant burst into the room, acts like he's at home and then gives you a cake, it must be slightly overwhelming.'

Sirius stuck his tongue out, 'Mature,' muttered James in response, receiving startled looks.

'I'll take this one,' said Remus before Lily could talk, 'James, since when can you call people immature?'

'Since I became a father,'

Remus opened and closed his mouth a few times before answering, 'I'm not even going to bother arguing with that.'

James grinned victoriously.

** The giant chuckled.**

** 'True, I haven't introduced meself. Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts.'**

** He held out an enormous hand and shook Harry's whole arm.**

** 'What about that tea then, eh?' he said, rubbing his hands together. 'I'd not say no to something stronger if yeh've got it, mind.'**

'Typical Hagrid,' laughed George.

** His eyes fell on the empty grate with the shrivelled crisp packets in it and he snorted. He bent down over the fireplace; they couldn't see what he was doing but when he drew back a second later, there was a roaring fire there. It filled the whole damp hut with flickering light and Harry felt the warmth wash over him as though he'd sunk into a hot bath.**

'I'm glad Harry's not freezing anymore, but Hagrid really shouldn't be doing magic. Especially in front of Harry who doesn't know about magic,' frowned Lily.

'How is he doing it anyway?' asked Draco, 'He doesn't have a wand.'

Ron smirked, 'You know his pink umbrella? He put the broken pieces in side it after it was snapped. It works quite well, just don't ask him to do to advanced magic.'

** The giant sat back down on the sofa, which sagged under his weight, and began taking all sorts of things out of the pockets of his coat: a copper kettle, a squashy package of sausages, a poker, a teapot, several chipped mugs and a bottle of some amber liquid which he took a swig of before starting to make tea. Soon the hut was full of the sound and smell of sizzling sausage. Nobody said a thing while the giant was working, but as he slid the first six fat, juicy, slightly burnt sausages from the poker, Dudley fidgeted a little. Uncle Vernon said sharply, 'Don't touch anything he gives you, Dudley.'**

** The giant chuckled darkly.**

** 'Yer great puddin' of a son don' need fattenin' any more, Dursley, don' worry.'**

** He passed the sausages to Harry, who was so hungry he had never tasted anything so wonderful, but he still couldn't take his eyes off the giant. Finally, as nobody seemed about to explain anything, he said,' I'm sorry, but I still don't really know who you are.'**

** The giant took a gulp of tea and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.**

** 'Call me Hagrid,' he said, 'everyone does. An' like I told yeh, I'm Keeper of Keys at Hogwarts – yeh'll know all about Hogwarts o' course.'**

** 'Er – no,' said Harry.**

** Hagrid looked shocked.**

'Hagrid isn't going to like this,' muttered Sirius.

'I don't like this,' frowned Lily.

** 'Sorry,' Harry said quickly.**

** '**_**Sorry?**_**' barked Hagrid, turning to stare at the Dursley, who shrank back into the shadows. 'Its them as should be sorry! I knew yeh weren't getting yer letters but I never thought yeh wouldn't even know abou' Hogwarts, fer cryin' out loud! Did yeh never wonder where yer parents learnt it all?'**

** 'All what?' asked Harry.**

Sirius started laughing to himself.

'Sirius?' asked Ron, 'Whats funny?'

'I'm just thinking that Hagrid is going to get really angry, and he tends to do magic when he's angry. This should be good.'

** 'ALL WHAT?' Hagrid thundered. 'Now wait jus' one second!' **

** He had leapt to his feet. In his anger he seemed to fill the whole hut. The Dursleys were cowering against the wall. **

** 'Do you mean to ter tell me,' he growled at the Dursleys, 'that this boy – this boy! – knows nothin' abou' – about ANYTHING?'**

** Harry thought this was going a bit far. He had been to school, after all, and his marks weren't bad.**

Sirius laughed even harder at this. Remus silenced him with a flick of his wand.

** But Hagrid simply waved his hand and said, 'About **_**our**_** world, I mean. **_**Your**_** world. My****world. **_**Yer parents'**_** world.'**

** 'What world?'**

** Hagrid looked as if he was about to explode.**

** 'DURSLEY!' he boomed.**

** Uncle Vernon, who had gone very pale, whispered something that sounded like 'Mimblewimble'. Hagrid stared wildly at Harry.**

** 'But yeh must know about yer mum and dad,' he said. 'I mean, they're famous. **_**You're **_**famous.'**

'Potter finally gets the fame he's always wanted,' laughed Severus.

James glared at him, 'Oh yes, I always wanted to be famous for being murdered by Voldemort and leaving my son with the worlds nastiest Muggles.'

'Stop it.' Said Lily loudly, 'Can we please just read without you being horrible to each other?'

** 'What? My – my mum and dad weren't famous, were they?'**

** 'Yeh don' know – yeh don' know ...' Hagrid ran his fingers through his hair, fixing Harry with a bewildered stare.**

** 'Yeh don' know what yeh are?' he said finally.**

** Uncle Vernon suddenly found his voice.**

** 'Stop!' he commanded. 'Stop right there, sir! I forbid you to tell the boy anything!'**

** A braver man than Vernon Dursley would have quailed under the furious look Hagrid now gave him; when Hagrid spoke, his every syllable trembled with rage.**

** 'You never told him?' Never told him what was in the letter Dumbledore left fer him? I was there! I saw Dumbledore leave it, Dursley! An' you've kept it from him all these years?'**

** 'Kept **_**what**_** from me?' said Harry eagerly.**

** 'STOP! I FORBID YOU!' yelled Uncle Vernon in panic.**

'What Sirius?' burst Remus, Sirius had been poking him for a while, trying to get his attention.

Sirius pointed at his mouth.

'Fine!' he said, undoing the spell.

** Aunt Petunia gave a gasp of horror.**

** 'Ah, go boil yer heads, both of yeh,' said Hagrid. 'Harry – yer a wizard.'**

** There was silence in the hut. Only the sea and the whistling wind could be heard.**

** 'I'm a **_**what?**_**' gasped Harry.**

** 'A wizard, o' course,' said Hagrid, sitting back down on the sofa, which groaned and sank even lower, 'an' a thumpin' good'un, I'd say, once yeh've been trained up a bit. With a mom an' dad like yours, what else would yeh be? An' I reckon it's abou' time yeh read yeh letter,'**

** Harry stretched out his hand at last to take the yellowish envelope, addressed in emerald green to **_**Mr H. Potter, The Floor, Hut-on-the-Rock, The Sea. **_**He pulled out the letter and read: **

**HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY**

_**Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore**_

_**(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. Of Wizards)**_

_** Dear Mr Potter,**_

_** We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equiptment,**_

_** Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.**_

_** Yours sincerely,**_

_** Minerva McGonagall**_

_** Deputy Headmistress**_

'It's such an informative letter,' mumbled Ginny.

'Most people don't need more, they have parents who would have explained, or if they are Muggle-born they have a teacher explaining to them,' replied Hermione.

**Questions exploded inside Harry's head like fireworks and he couldn't decide which to ask first. After a few minutes he stammered. 'What does it mean, they await my owl?'**

** 'Gallopin' Gorgons, that reminds me,' said Hagrid, clapping a hand to his forehead with enough force to knock over a cart horse, and from yet another pocket inside his overcoat he pulled an owl – a real, live, rather ruffled-looking owl – **

'I love Hagrid,' laughed Sirius.

**a long quill and a roll of parchment. With his tongue between his teeth he scribbled a note which Harry could read upside-down:**

_**Dear Mr Dumbledore,**_

_** Given Harry his letter. Taking him to buy his things tomorrow. Weather's horrible. Hope **_

_** you are well.**_

_** Hagrid.**_

**Hagrid rolled up the note, gave it to the owl, which clamped it in its beak, went to the door and threw the owl out into the storm. Then he came back and sat down as though this was as normal as talking on the telephone.**

'Telephone?' asked Draco.

'Muggles use it to communicate, it works with electricity. You dial the number of the person you want to talk to and then you speak into the microphone and they can hear you,' answered Hermione.

'Every Muggle has a number? Who's number one?' he asked, causing everyone to laugh. 'What?'

'It's more that the telephone itself has a number, they are seven digits long and they have a four or five digit number at the start that's an area code,'

'Hermione, I don't think he's going to get it,' laughed Ginny, 'I still don't get it, I just accept that it works, and don't ask questions,'

James continued reading leaving Draco looking even more confused than before.

** Harry realised his mouth was open and closed it quickly.**

** 'Where was I?' said Hagrid, but at that moment, Uncle Vernon, still ashen-faced but looking very angry, moved into the firelight.**

** 'He's not going,' he said.**

** Hagrid grunted.**

** 'I'd like ter see a great Muggle like you stop him,' he said.**

** 'A what?' said Harry, interested.**

** 'A Muggle,' said Hagrid. 'It's what we call non-magic folk like them. An' it's your bad luck you grew up in a family o' the biggest Muggles I ever laid eyes on.'**

** 'We swore when we took him in we'd put a stop to that rubbish,' said Uncle Vernon, 'swore we'd stamp it out of him! Wizard indeed!'**

'Stamp it out!' growled James.

** 'You knew?' said Harry. 'You **_**knew**_** I'm a – a wizard?'**

** 'Knew!' shrieked Aunt Petunia suddenly. 'Knew! Of course we knew! How could you not be, my dratted sister being what she was? Oh, she got a letter just like that and disappeared off to that – that **_**school **_**– and came home every holiday with her pockets full of frog-spawn, turning teacups into rats. I was the only one who saw her for what she was – a freak! But my mother and father, oh no, it was Lily this and Lily that, they were proud of having a witch in the family!'**

Lily was looking down at her lap, she knew that her sister was resentful of her and she thought Petunia was probably jealous but she had no idea that she felt this strongly and hatefully about her.

** She stopped to draw a deep breath and then went ranting on. It seemed she had been wanting to say all this for years.**

** 'Then she met that Potter at school and they left and got married and had you, and of course I knew you'd be just the same, just as strange, just as – as – **_**abnormal **_**– and then, if you please, she went and got herself blown up and we got landed with you!'**

'Oh yes Petunia, that was intentional. I want nothing more than for you to raise my son!' she yelled back at her sister, before sitting back down and muttering under her breath.

** Harry had gone very white. As soon as he found his voice he said, 'Blown up? You told me they died in a car crash!'**

** 'CAR CRASH!' roared Hagrid, jumping up so angrily that the Dursleys scuttled back to their corner. 'How could a car crash kill Lily an' James Potter? It's an outrage! A scandal! Harry Potter not knowin' his own story when every kid in our world knows his name!'**

** 'But why? What happened?' Harry asked urgently.**

** The anger faded from Hagrid's face. He looked suddenly anxious.**

** 'I never expected this,' he said, in a low, worried voice. 'I had no idea, when Dumbledore told me there might be trouble gettin' hold of yeh,how much yeh didn't know. Ah, Harry, I don' know if I'm the right person to tell yeh – but someone's gotta – yeh can't go off to Hogwarts not knowin'.'**

** He threw a dirty look and the Dursleys.**

** 'Well, it's best yeh know as much as I can tell yeh – mind, I can't tell yeh everythin', it's a great myst'ry parts of it ...'**

** He sat down, stared into the fire for a few seconds and then said, 'It begins, I suppose, with – with a person called – but it's incredible yeh don't know his name, everyone in our world knows –'**

** 'Who?'**

** 'Well – I don' like sayin' the name if I can help it. No one does.'**

'He needs to get over his fear of the name,' laughed George.

** 'Why not?' **

** 'Gulpin' gargoyles, Harry, people are still scared. Blimey, this is difficult. See, there was this wizard who went ... bad. As bad as you could go. Worse. Worse than worse. His name was...'**

** Hagrid gulped, but no words came out.**

** 'Could you write it down?' Harry suggested.**

** 'Nah – can't spell it. All right – **_**Voldemort**_**.' Hagrid shuddered. 'Don' make me say it again. Anyway, this – this wizard, about twenty years ago now, started lookin' fer followers. Got 'em, too – some were afraid, some just wanted a bit o' his power, 'cause he was gettin' himself power, all right. Dark days, Harry. Didnt know who ter trust, didn't dare get friendly with strange wizards or witches... Terrible things happened. He was takin' over. 'Course, some stood up to him – an' he killed 'em. Horribly. One o' the only safe places left was Hogwarts. Reckon Dumbledore's the only one You-Know-Who was afraid of. Didn't dare try takin' the school, not jus' then, anyways.**

** 'Now, yer mum an' dad were as good a witch an' wizard as I ever knew. Head Boy an' Girl at Hogwarts in their day! **

Lily grinned at this news, then frowned, 'Who in their right mind would make him,' she jerked her thumb in his direction, 'Head Boy!'

'Dumbledore,' laughed James, 'he has finally acknowledged my awesomeness,'

Sniggers were heard around the room.

**Suppose the myst'ry is why You-Know-Who never tried to get 'em on his side before ... probably knew they were too close to Dumbledore ter want anythin' ter do with the Dark Side.**

** 'Maybe he thought he could persuade 'em ... maybe he wanted 'em outta the way. All anyone knows is, he turned up in the village where you was all living, on Hallowe'en ten years ago. You was just a year old. He came ter yer house an' – an' –'**

** Hagrid suddenly pulled out a very dirty, spotted handkerchief and blew his nose with a sound like a foghorn. **

** 'Sorry,' he said. 'But it's that sad – knew yer mum an' dad, an' nicer people yeh couldn't find – anyway – **

** 'You-Know-Who killed 'em. An' then – an' this is the real myst'ry of the thing – he tried to kill you, too. Wanted ter make a clean job of it. I suppose, or maybe he just liked killin' by then. But he couldn't do it. Never wondered how you got that mark on yer forehead? That was no ordinary cut. That's what yeh get when a powerful, evil curse touched yeh – took care of yer mum an' dad an' yer house, even – but it didn't work on you, an' that's why yer famous, Harry. No one ever lived after he decided ter kill 'em, no one except you, an' he'd killed some o' the best witches an' wizards of the age – the McKinnons, the Bones, the Prewetts – an' you was only a baby, an' you lived.'**

'Marlene?' asked Lily quietly, tears coming to her eyes when Ginny confirmed her fear.

** Something very painful was going on in Harry's mind. As Hagrid's story came to a close, he saw again the blinding flash of green light, more clearly than he ever remembered it before – and he remembered something else, for the first time in his life – a high, cold, cruel laugh. **

'He remembered that,' muttered Remus looking ill.

** Hagrid was watching him sadly.**

** 'Took yeh from the ruined house myself, on Dumbledore's orders. Brought yeh ter this lot ...'**

'Yeah, on my bike,' grinned Sirius.

** 'Load of old tosh,' said Uncle Vernon. Harry jumped, he had almost forgotten that the Dursleys were there. Uncle Vernon certainly seemed to have got back his courage. He was glaring at Hagrid and his fists were clenched.**

** 'Now, you listen her, boy,' he snarled. 'I accept there's something strange about you, probably nothing a good beating wouldn't have cured – and as for all this about your parents, well, they were wierdos, **

'Well, James is anyway,' laughed Sirius.

**no denying it, and the world's better off without them in my opinion – asked for all they got, getting mixed up with those wizarding types – just what I expected, always knew they'd come to a sticky end –'**

** But at that moment, Hagrid leapt from the sofa and drew a battered pink umbrella drom inside his coat. Pointing this at Uncle Vernon like a sword, he said, 'I'm warning you, Dursley – I'm warning you – one more word ...'**

** In danger of being speared on the end of an umbrella by a bearded giant, Uncle Vernon's courage failed again; he flattened himself against the wall and fell silent.**

** 'That's better,' said Hagrid, breathing heavily and sitting back down on the sofa, which this time sagged right down on the floor. **

** Harry, meanwhile, still had questions to ask, hundreds of them. **

** 'But what happened to Vol – sorry – I mean, You-Know-Who?' **

** 'Good question, Harry. Disapeared. Vanished. Same night he tried ter kill you. Makes yeh even more famous. That's the biggest myst'ry, see ... he was gettin' more an' more powerful – why's he go?**

** 'Some say he died. Codswallop, in my opinion. Dunno if he had enough human left in him to die. Some say he's still out there, bidin' his time, like, but I don' belive it. People who was on his side came back ter ours. Some of 'em came outta kinda trances. **

'The Imperious Curse,' muttered Hermione knowledgably, she was ignored except for a few eye rolls.

**Don' reckon they could've done if he was comin' back.**

** 'Most of us reckon he's still out there somewhere but lost his powers. Too weak to carry on. 'Cause somethin' about you finished him, Harry. There was somethin' goin' on that night he hadn't counted on – **_**I **_**dunno what it was, no one does – but somethin' about you stumped him, all right.'**

** Hagrid looked at Harry with warmth and respect blazing in his eyes, but Harry, instead of feeling pleased and proud, felt quite sure there had been a horrible mistake, A wizard? Him? How could he possibly be? He'd spent his life being clouted by Dudley and bullied by Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon; if he was really a wizard, why hadn't they been turned into warty toads every time they'd tried to lock him in his cupboard? If he'd once defeated the greatest sorcerer in the world, how come Dudley had always been able to kick him around like a football?**

** 'Hagrid,' he said quietly, 'I think you must have made a mistake. I don't think I can be a wizard.'**

Lily and Hermione chuckled at this, they both knew how unbelievable this could seem.

** To his surprise, Hagrid chuckled,**

** 'Not a wizard, eh? Never made things happen when you was scared, or angry?'**

** Harry looked into the fire, Now he came to think about it... every odd thing that had even made his aunt and uncle furious with him had happened when he, Harry, had been upset or angry ... chased by Dudleys gang, he had somehow found himself out of their reach ... dreading going to school with that ridiculous haircut, he'd managed to make it grow back ... and the very last time Dudley had hit him, hadn't he got his revenge, without even realising he was doing it? Hadn't he set a boa constrictor on him?**

** Harry looked back at Hagrid, smiling, and saw that Hagrid was positively beaming at him.**

** 'See?' said Hagrid. 'Harry Potter, not a wizard – you wait, you'll be right famous at Hogwarts.' But Uncle Vernon wasn't going to give in without a fight.**

** 'Haven't I told you he's not going?' he hissed. 'He's going to Stonewall High and he'll be grateful for it. I've read those letters and he needs all sorts of rubbish – spell books and wands and –'**

** 'If he wants ter go, a great Muggle like you won't stop him,' growled Hagrid. 'Stop Lily and James Potter's son goin' ter Hogwarts! Yer mad. His name's been down ever since he was born. He's off ter the finest school of witchcraft and wizardry in the world. Seven years there and he won't even know himself. He'll be with youngsters of his own sort, fer a change, an' he'll be under the greatest Headmaster Hogwarts ever had, Albus Dumbled –' **

** 'I AM NOT PAYING FOR SOME CRACKPOT OLD FOOL TO TEACH HIM MAGIC TRICKS!' yelled Uncle Vernon. **

'He's in trouble now,' laughed Sirius, 'Hagrid loves Dumbledore.'

** But he had finally gone too far. Hagrid seized his umbrella and whirled it over his head. NEVER –' he thundered, ' – INSULT – ALBUS – DUMBLEDORE – IN –FRONT – OF – ME!' **

** He brought the umbrella down with a swishing through the air to point at Dudley – there was a flash of violet light, a sound like a firecracker, a sharp squeal and next second, Dudley was dancing on the spot with his hands clasped over his fat bottom, howling in pain. When he turned his back on them, Harry saw a curly pig's tail poking through a hole in his trousers.**

Laughter rocked around them room.

'That wasn't very nice,' said Luna, 'Why didn't he turn him into a full pig? Being human with that tail just makes him look silly.'

This comment made the laughter louder, and after a while even Luna joined in with a quiet giggle.

** Uncle Vernon roared. Pulling Aunt Petunia and Dudley into the other room, he cast one last terrified look at Hagrid and slammed the door behind him.**

** Hagrid looked down at his umbrella and stroked his beard.**

** 'Shouldn'ta lost me temper,' he said ruefully, 'but it didn't work anyway. Meant ter turn him into a pig, but I suppose he was so much like a pig anyway there wasn't much left ter do.'**

'There's your answer Luna,' Said Neville still chuckling.

** He cast a sideways look at Harry under his bushy eyebrows.**

** 'Be grateful if yeh didn't mention that ter anyone at Hogwarts,' he said, 'I'm – er – not supposed ter do magic, strictly speakin'. I was allowed ter do a bit ter follow yeh an' get yer letter to yeh an' stuff – one o' the reasons I was so keen ter take the job –'**

** 'Why aren't you supposed to do magic?' asked Harry.**

** 'Oh, well – I was at Hogwarts meself but I – er – got expelled, ter tell yeh the truth. In me third year. They snapped me wand in half an' everything. But Dumbledore let me stay on as gamekeeper. Great man Dumbledore.'**

** 'Why were you expelled?'**

'You'll have to do better than that do get him to tell you, he refuses to talk about it, we've tried loads of times,' frowned James.

'We found out eventually,' grinned Ron, ignoring the looks from the other time-travellers for giving information away.

'He told you!' exclaimed Sirius.

'Not exactly,' muttered Ron, 'You'll find out more if you keep reading,' he finished, avoiding more questions.

** 'It's gettin' late and we've got lots ter do tomorrow,' said Hagrid loudly. 'Gotta get up ter town, and get all yer books an' that.'**

** He took of his thick black coat and threw it at Harry.**

** 'You can kip under that,' he said, 'Don' mind if it wriggles a bit, I think I still got a couple o' dormice in one o' the pockets.'**

'I love Hagrid,' smiled Lily, 'I'm glad he was chosen to rescue Harry,'

* * *

** I am going on holiday for two weeks as of Friday (27th) and I probably wont have any signal so unfortunatly I wont be able to post... but, I am taking my laptop, so I might be able to get a chapter or two written for posting when I get back :)  
~AlwaysOpugno~**


	8. Diagon Alley

**Hey! look at that! I posted :P I'm really really really sorry for the long wait, it was caused by a mixture of business, laziness, laptop issues, and bad internet connections. **

**I officially give you guys permission to nag me to death if I take to long to post new chapters :) **

* * *

**Diagon Alley**

'Can I read this chapter?' asked Teddy.

'Sure,' shrugged James, as he passed the book over.

**Harry woke early the next morning. Although he could tell it was daylight, he kept his eyes shut tight.**

'**It was a dream,' he told himself firmly. 'I dreamed a giant called Hagrid came to tell me I was going to a school for wizards. When I open my eyes I'll be at home in my cupboard.'**

**There was suddenly a loud tapping noise.**

'**And there is Aunt Petunia knocking on the door,' Harry thought, his heart sinking. But he still didn't open his eyes. It had been such a good dream.**

'Imagine it actually was a dream,' laughed Sirius.

'Of course it wasn't, how would he know about Hagrid?' questioned Lily.

'Because Hagrid took him to the Dursleys, he remembered my flying bike in a dream, he could remember Hagrid.'

'I still think it's real,' muttered Lily.

'Me to, I just wanted to annoy you'

Teddy continued to read over Lily's muttered curses.

**Tap. Tap. Tap**

'**All right,' Harry mumbled, 'I'm getting up.'**

**He sat up and Hagrid's heavy coat fell off him. The hut was full of sunlight, the storm was over, Hagrid himself was asleep on the collapsed sofa and there was an owl rapping its claw on the window, a newspaper held in its beak.**

**Harry scrambled** **to his feet, so happy he felt as though a large balloon** **was swelling inside him. He went straight to the window and jerked it open. The owl swooped in and dropped the newspaper on top of Hagrid, who didn't was up. The owl then fluttered on to the floor and began to attack Hagrid's coat.**

'**Don't do that.'**

'It wants paying Harry,' laughed James.

**Harry tried to wave the owl out of the way, but it snapped its beak fiercely at him and carried on savaging the coat.**

'**Hagrid!' said Harry loudly. 'There's an owl –'**

'**Pay him,' Hagrid grunted into the sofa.**

'Told you'

'**What?'**

'**He wants payin' fer deliverin' the paper. Look in the pockets.'**

**Hagrid's coat seemed to be made of nothing **_**but **_**pockets – bunches of keys, slug pellets, balls of string, mint humbugs, teabags ... finally, Harry pulled out a handful of strange-looking coins. **

'**Give him five Knuts,' said Hagrid sleepily.**

'**Knuts?'**

'**The little bronze ones.'**

**Harry counted out five little bronze coins and the owl held out its leg so he could put the money into a small leather pouch tied to it. Then it flew off through the open window.**

**Hagrid yawned loudly, sat up and stretched.**

'**Best be off, Harry, lots ter do today, gotta get up ter London an' buy all yer stuff fer school.'**

**Harry was turning over the wizard coins and looking at them. He had just thought of something which made him feel as though the happy balloon inside him had got a puncture.**

'**Um – Hagrid?'**

'**Mm?' said Hagrid, who was pulling on his huge boots.**

'**I haven't got any money – and you heard Uncle Vernon last night – he won't pay for me to go and learn magic.' **

James started laughing, 'Don't worry about money, Harry. Just show up at Gringotts they'll take you to the Potter vault.'

'He won't know that,' said Remus. James shrugged in response.

'**Don't worry about that,' said Hagrid, standing up and scratching his head. 'D'yeh think yer parents didn't leave yeh anything?'**

'**But if their house was destroyed –'**

'**They didn' keep their gold in the house, boy!' Nah, first stop fer us is Gringotts. Wizards' bank. Have a sausage, they're not bad cold – an' I wouldn't say no teh a bit o' yer birthday cake, neither.'**

'**Wizards have **_**banks**_**?'**

'**Just the one. Gringotts. Run by goblins.'**

**Harry dropped the bit of sausage he was holding.**

'_**Goblins**_**?'**

'**Yeah – so yeh'd** **be mad ter try an' rob it, I'll tell yeh that. Never mess with goblins, Harry. **

The time-travellers sniggered and glanced at Ron and Hermione, who turned red.

'I'd ask but you wouldn't tell me would you?' asked Remus, who seemed to be the only one to notice. His only answer was a few shaken heads.

'Ask what?' questioned Lily, noticing the exchange. 'Oh no, you didn't? Why?'

Ron coughed, 'We don't know what you're talking about' he said, putting on an innocent smile.

**Gringotts is the safest place in the world fer anything yeh want to keep safe – 'cept** **maybe Hogwarts. As a matter o' fact, I gotta visit Gringotts anyway. Fer Dumbledore. Hogwarts business.'** **Hagrid drew himself up proudly. 'He usually gets me ter do important stuff fer him. Fetchin**' **you – gettin**' **things from Gringotts – knows he can trust me, see.**

**Got everythin**'**? Come on, then.'**

**Harry followed Hagrid out onto the rock. The sky was quite clear now and the sea gleamed in the sunlight. The boat Uncle Vernon had hired was still there, with lots of water on the bottom after the storm.**

'**How did you get here?' Harry asked, looking around for another boat.**

'**Flew,' said Hagrid.**

'_**Flew**_**?'**

'**Yeah – but we'll go back in this. Not s'pposed** **ter use magic now I've got yeh.'**

**They settled down in the boat, Harry was staring at Hagrid, trying to imagine him flying.**

'**Seems a shame ter row, though,' said Hagrid, giving Harry another of his sideways looks. 'If I was ter – er** – **speed things up a bit, would yeh mind not mentionin**' **it at Hogwarts?'**

'**Of course not,' said Harry, eager to see more magic. Hagrid pulled out the pink umbrella again, tapper it twice on the side of the boat and they sped off towards land.**

'How are the Dursleys supposed to get back?' asked Neville

'Maybe Hagrid sends the boat back,' replied Lily.

'Maybe he doesn't and they get stuck on the island forever,' grinned Sirius.

'**Why would you be mad to try and rob Gringotts?' Harry asked.**

'**Spells – enchantments,' said Hagrid, unfolding his newspaper as he spoke. 'They say there's dragonsguardin**' **the high-security vaults. And then yeh gotta find yer way – Gringotts is hundereds** **of miles under London, see. Deep under the 'd** **die of hunger just tryin**' **ter get out, even if you did manage ter get yer hands on sommat.'**

**Harry sat and thought about this while Hagrid read his newspaper, the **_**Daily Prophet.**_**Harry had learnt from Uncle Vernon that people liked to be left alone while they did this, but it was very difficult, he'd never had so many questions in his life.**

'Hagrid would never get mad about questions,' muttered Ginny, rolling her eyes.

'**Ministry o' Magic messin**' **things up as usual,' Hagrid muttered, turning the page.**

'**There's a Ministry of Magic?' Harry asked, before he could stop himself.**

''**Course,' said Hagrid. 'They wanted Dumbledore fer Minister, o' course, but he'd never leave Hogwarts, so old Cornelius Fudge got the job. Bungler if ever there was one. So he pelts Dumbledore with owls every morning, askin**' **fer advice.'**

'**But what does a Ministry of Magic **_**do?**_'

**Well, their main job is to keep it from Muggles that there's** **still witches an' wizards up an' down the country.'**

'**Why?'**

'_**Why?**_ **Blimey, Harry, everyone'd be wantin**' **magic solutions to their problems. Nah, we're best left alone.'**

**At this moment the boat bumped gently into the harbour wall. Hagrid folded up his newspaper and they clambered up the stone steps onto the street.**

**Passers-by stared a lot at Hagrid as they walked through the little town to the station. Harry couldn't blame them. Not only was Hagrid twice as tall as anyone else, he kept pointing at perfectly ordinarily things like parking meters** **and saying loudly, 'See that, Harry? Things these Muggles dream up, eh?'**

'**Hagrid,' said Harry, panting a bit as he ran to keep up, 'did you say there are **_**dragons **_**at Gringotts?'**

'**Well, so they say,' said Hagrid. 'Crikey, I'd like a dragon.'**

Ron went pale at the mention of Norbert, he could still remember the damage his bite had done to his hand.

'**You'd **_**like **_**one?'**

'**Wanted one ever since I was a kid – here we go.'**

**They had reached the station. There was a train to London in five minutes' time. Hagrid, who didn't understand 'Muggle money', as he called it, gave the notes to Harry so he could buy their tickets.**

**People stared more than ever on the train. Hagrid took up two seats and sat knitting what looked like a canary-yellow circus tent.**

'**Still got yer letter, Harry?' he asked as he counted stitches.**

**Harry took the parchment envelope out of his pocket.**

'**Good,' said Hagrid. 'There's a list there if everything yeh need.' **

**Harry unfolded a second piece of paper he hadn't noticed the night before and read:**

**HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY**

**Uniform**

**First-year students will require:**

**Three sets of plain work robes (black)**

**One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear**

**One pair of protected gloves (dragon hide or similar) **

**One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)**

**Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags**

'Has that _ever _changed?' asked James grinning.

'The list has been the same ever since 1824, before that there was a choice of wearing clothes with house colour detailing. It was changed because the head-master of the time thought it was helping to destroy inter-house relationships, where-as if everyone has the same uniform we all look the same and are more likely to be friendly.' Answered Hermione, as always sounding like she had swallowed a book.

'Well, that answered my question,'

**Set Books**

_**All students should have a copy of each of the following:**_

**The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) **_**by Miranda Goshawk**_

**A History of Magic **_**byBathildaBagshot**_

**Magical Theory **_**by Adalbert**_ _**Waffling**_

**A Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration **_**by Emeric**_ _**Switch**_

**One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi **_**by Phyllida**_ _**Spore**_

**Magical Drafts and Potions **_**by Arsenius**_ _**Jigger**_

**Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them **_**by Newt Scamander**_

**The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection **_**by Quentin Trimble**_

**Other Equiptment**

_**1 Wand**_

_**1 Cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)**_

_**1 set glass or crystal phials**_

_**1 telescope**_

_**1 set brass scales**_

_**Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad**_

_**PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST-YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS**_

'Stupid rule,' muttered James, the other Quidditch players nodded their agreement.

'**Can we buy all this in London?' Harry wondered aloud.**

'**If yeh know where to go,' said Hagrid.**

**Harry had never been to London before. Although Hagrid seemed to know where he was going, he was obviously not used to getting there in an ordinary way. He got stuck in the ticket barrier on the Underground and complained loudly that the seats were too small and the trains to slow.**

'**I don't know how the Muggles manage without magic,' he said, as they climbed a broken-down escalator which led up to a bustling road lined with shops.**

**Hagrid was so huge that he parted the crowd easily; all Harry had to do was keep close behind him. They passed book shops and music stores, hamburger bars and cinemas, but nowhere that looked as if it could sell you a magic wand. This was just an ordinary street full of ordinary people. Could there really be piles of wizard gold buried miles beneath them? Were there really shops that sold spell books and broomsticks? Might this not all be some huge joke that the Dursleys had cooked up? If Harry hadn't known that the Dursleys had no sense of humour, he might have thought so; yet somehow, even though everything Hagrid had told him so far was unbelievable, Harry couldn't help trusting him.**

'**This is it,' said Hagrid, coming to a halt, 'the Leaky Cauldron. It's a famous place.'**

**It was a tiny, grubby-looking pub. If Hagrid hadn't pointed it out, Harry wouldn't have noticed it was there. The people hurrying by didn't glance at it. Their eyes slid from the big book shop on one side to the record shop on the other as if they couldn't see the Leaky Cauldron at all. In fact, Harry had the most peculiar feeling that only he and Hagrid could see it. Before he could mention this, Hagrid had steered him inside.**

**For a famous place, it was very dark and shabby.**

'It really does need an update,' said Ginny.

'I like it,' murmured Luna.

'I don't think they can update it, it's a part of the magic of the place,' said Lily

**A few old women were sitting in a corner, drinking tiny glasses of sherry. One of them was smoking a long pipe. A little man in a top hat was talking to the old barman, who was quite bald and looked like a grumpy walnut.**

'A grumpy walnut!' laughed Sirius, 'Your son has amazing description skills'

**The low buzz of chatter stopped when they walked in. Everyone seemed to know Hagrid; they waved and smiled at him, and the barman reached for a glass, saying, 'The** **usual, Hagrid?'**

'**Can't, Tom, I'm on Hogwarts** **business,' said Hagrid, clapping his great hand on Harry's shoulder and making Harry's knees buckle.**

'**Good Lord,' said the barman, peering at Harry, 'is this – can this be** **-?'**

**The Leaky Cauldron had suddenly gone completely still and silent.**

'**Bless my soul,' whispered the old barman. **'**Harry Potter ... what an honour.'**

'I bet this gets annoying fairly quickly' said Remus.

'You have no idea,' grinned Ron.

**He hurried out from behind the bar, rushed towards Harry and seized his hand, tears in his eyes.**

'**Welcome back, Mr Potter, welcome back.'**

**Harry didn't know what to say. Everyone was looking at him. The old woman with the pipe was puffing on it without realising it had gone out. Hagrid was beaming.**

**Then there was a great scraping of chairs and, next moment, Harry found himself shaking hands with everyone in the Leaky Cauldron.**

'**Doris Crockford, Mr Potter, can't believe I'm meeting you at last.'**

'**So proud, Mr Potter, I'm just so proud.'**

'**Always wanted to shake your hand – I'm all of a flutter.'**

'**Delighted, Mr Potter, just can't tell you. Diggle's the name, Dedalus Diggle.'**

'**I've seen you before!' said Harry, as Dedalus Diggle's top hat fell off in his excitement. 'You bowed to me once in a shop.'**

'**He remembers!' cried Dedalus Diggle, looking around at everyone. 'Did you hear that? He remembers me!'**

**Harry shook hands again and again – Doris Crockford kept coming back for more.**

**A pale young man made his way forward, very nervously. One of his eyes was twitching.**

'**Professor Quirrell!' said Hagrid. 'Harry, Professor Quirrell will be one of your teachers at Hogwarts.'**

'**P-P-Potter,' stammered Professor Quirrell, grasping Harry's hand, 'c-can't t-tell you how p-pleased I am to meet you.'**

'**What sort of magic do you teach, Professor Quirrell?'**

'**D-Defence Against** **the D-D-Dark Arts,' muttered Professor Quirrell, as though he'd rather not think about it. **'**N-not that you n-need it, eh, P-P-Potter?'** **He laughed nervously. 'You'll be g-getting all your equiptment, I suppose? I've g-got to p-pick up a new b-book on vampires, m-myself.' He looked terrified at the very** **thought.**

'How can a defence teacher be scared of their own subject,' sighed Ginny.

**But the others wouldn't let Professor Quirrell keep Harry to himself. It took almost ten minutes to get away from them all. At last, Hagrid managed to make himself** **heard over the babble.**

'**Must get on – lots ter buy. Come on, Harry.'**

**Doris Crockford shook Harry's hand one last time and Hagrid led them through the bar and out into a small, walled courtyard, where there was nothing but a dustbin and a few weeds.**

**Hagrid grinned at Harry.**

'**Told yeh, didn't I? Told yeh you was** **famous. Even Professor Quirrell was tremblin**' **ter meet yeh – mind you, he's usually tremblin**'**.'**

'**Is he always that nervous?'**

'**Oh, mind.** **He was fine while he was studyin**' **outta** **books but then he took a year off ter get some first-hand experience ... They say he met vampires in the Black Forest and there was a nasty bit o' trouble with a hag – never been the same since. Scared of the students, scared of his own** **subject – now, where's me umbrella?'**

**Vampires?Hags?** **Harry's head was swimming. Hagrid, meanwhile, was counting bricks in the wall above the dustbin.**

'**Three up... two across...' he muttered. 'Right, stand back Harry.'**

**He tapped the wall three times with the point of his umbrella. **

**The brick he had touched quivered – it wriggled – in the middle, a small hole appeared – it grew wider and wider – a second later they were facing an archway large enough even for Hagrid, an archway on to a cobbled street which twisted and turned out of sight.**

'**Welcome,' said Hagrid, 'to Diagon Alley.'**

**He grinned at Harry's amazement. They stepped through the archway. Harry looked quickly over his shoulder and saw the archway shrink instantly back into a solid wall.**

'There is nothing quite so amazing as seeing that for the first time,' sighed Lily with a smile.

**The sun shone brightly on a stack of cauldrons outside the nearest shop. **_**Cauldrons – All Sizes – Copper, Brass, Pewter, Silver – Self-Stirring – Collapsible **_**said a sign hanging over them.**

'**Yeah, you'll be needin**' **one,' said Hagrid, 'but we gotta get yer money first.'**

**Harry wished he had about eight more eyes. He turned his head in every direction as they walked up the street, trying to look at everything at once: the shops, the things outside them, the people doing their shopping. A plump woman outside an apothecary's was** **shaking her head as they passed, saying, 'Dragon liver, seventeen Sickles an ounce, they're mad ...'**

**A low, soft hooting came from a dark shop with a sign saying **_**Eeylops**_ _**Owl Emporium – Tawny, Screech, Barn, Brown and Snowy. **_**Several boys of about Harry's age had their noses pressed against a window with broomsticks in it. 'Look,' Harry heard one of them say, 'the new Nimbus Two Thousand – fastest ever –' There were shops selling robes, shops selling telescopes and strange silver instruments Harry had never seen before, windows stacked with barrels of bat spleens and eels' eyes, tottering piles of spell books, quills and rolls of parchment, potion bottles, globes of the moon ... **

'**Gringotts,' said Hagrid.**

**They had reached a snowy-white building which towered over the other little shops. Standing beside its burnished bronze doors, wearing a uniform of scarlet and gold, was – **

'**Yeah, that's a goblin,' said Hagrid quietly as they walked up the white stone steps towards him. The goblin was about a head shorted than Harry. He had a swarty, clever face, a pointed beard and, Harry noticed, very long fingers and feet. He bowed as they walked inside. Now they were facing a second pair of doors, silver this time, with words engraved upon them: **

_**Enter, stranger, but take heed**_

_**Of what awaits the sin of greed,**_

_**For those who take, but do not earn,**_

_**Must pay most dearly in their turn,**_

_**So if you seek beneath our floors**_

_**A treasure that was never yours, **_

_**Thief, you have been warned, beware**_

_**Of finding more than treasure there.**_

'**Like I said, yeh'd** **be mad ter try an' rob it,' said Hagrid.**

Ron and Hermione avoided the looks thrown their way.

**A pair of goblins bowed them** **through the silver doors and they were in a vast marble hall. About a hundered** **more goblins were sitting on high stools behind a long counter, scribbling in large ledgers, weighing coins on brass scales, examining precious stones through eyeglasses. There were too many doors to count leading off the hall, and yet more goblins were showing people in and out of these. Hagrid and Harry made for the counter.**

'**Morning,' said Hagrid to a free goblin. 'We've come ter take some money outta** **Mr Harry Potter's safe.'**

'**You have his key, sir?'**

'**Got it here somewhere,' said Hagrid and he started emptying his pockets on to the counter, scattering a handful of mouldy dog-biscuits over the goblin's book of numbers. The goblin wrinkled his nose. Harry watched the goblin on their right weighing a pile of rubies as big as glowing coals.**

'**Got it,' said Hagrid at last, holding up a tiny golden key.**

**The goblin looked at it closely.**

'**That seems to be in order.'**

'**An' I've also got a letter here from Professor Dumbledore,' said Hagrid importantly, throwing out his chest. 'It's about the** **You-Know-What in vault seven hundred and thirteen.'**

**The goblin read the letter carefully.**

'**Very well,' he said, handing it back to Hagrid, 'I will have someone take you down to both vaults. Griphook!'**

**Griphook was yet another goblin. Once Hagrid had crammed all the dog-biscuits back inside his pockets, he and Harry followed Griphook towards one of the doors leading off the hall.**

'**What's the You-Know-What in vault seven hundred and thirteen?' Harry asked.**

'**Can't tell yeh that,' said Hagrid mysteriously. **'**Very business.** **Dumbledore's trusted me. More'n** **my job's** **worth ter tell yeh that.'**

**Griphook held the door open for them. Harry, who had expected more marble, was surprised. They were in a narrow stone passageway lit with flaming torches. It sloped steeply downwards and there were railway tracks on the floor. Griphook whistled and a small cart came hurtling up the tracks towards them. They climbed in – Hagrid with some difficulty – and were off.**

**At first they just hurtled through a maze of twisting passages. Harry tried to remember, left, right, right, left, middle fork, right, left, but it was impossible. The rattling cart seemed to know its own way, because Griphook wasn't steering.**

**Harry's eyes stung as the cold air rushed past them, but he kept them wide open. Once, he thought he saw a burst of fire at the end of a passage and twisted around to see if it was a dragon, but too late – they plunged even deeper, passing an underground lake where huge stalactites and stalagmites grew from the ceiling and floor.**

'**I never know,' Harry called to Hagrid over the noise of the cart, 'what's the difference between a stalagmite and a stalactite?'**

'**Stalagmite's got an "m" in it,' said Hagrid. 'An' don' ask me questions just now, I think I'm gonna** **be sick.'**

'Stalactite is the one from the ceiling' muttered Hermione.

**He did look very green and when the cart stopped at last beside a small door in the passage wall, Hagrid got out and had to lean against the wall to stop his knees trembling.**

**Griphook unlocked the door. A lot of green smoke came billowing out, as it cleared, Harry gasped. Inside were mounds of gold coins. Columns of silver.** **Heaps of little brown Knuts.**

'**All yours,' smiled Hagrid.**

**All Harry's – it was incredible. The Dursleys couldn't have known about this or they'd have had it from him faster than blinking. How often had they complained how much Harry cost them to keep? And all the time there had been a small fortune belonging to him, buried deep under London.**

'I told you not to worry about money,' lectured James with a smile.

**Hagrid helped Harry pile some of it into a bag.**

'**The gold ones are Galleons,' he explained. 'Seventeen silver Sickles to a Galleon and twenty-nine Knuts to a Sickle, it's** **easy enough. **

'Muggle money is so much simpler,' said Lily.

'No it isn't,' disagreed James, 'There are so many different coins and then there are those paper things, how is that simple?'

'They increase in much easier increments, in fives and tens rather than seventeen's and twenty-nine's. It makes it much easier to work out what you've spent.'

'I think we will have to agree to disagree,' said James shaking his head.

**Right, that should be enough fer a couple o' terms, we'll keep the rest safe for yeh.' He turned to Griphook. 'Vault seven hundred and thirteen now, please, and can we go** **more slowly?'**

'**One speed only,' said Griphook.**

'I wish it wasn't,' sighed Sirius, 'It would be so much better if it was faster,' he finished with a grin.

**They were going even deeper now and gathering speed. The air became colder and colder as they hurtled round tight corners. They went rattling over an underground ravine and Harry leant over the side to try and see what was down at the dark bottom but Hagrid groaned and pulled him back by the scruff of his neck.**

**Vault seven hundred and thirteen had no keyhole.**

'Yeah the old vaults don't,' explained Sirius.

'**Stand back,' said Griphook importantly. He stroked the door gently with one of his long fingers and it simply melted away.**

'**If anyone but a Gringotts goblin tried that, they'd be sucked through the door and trapped there,' said Griphook.**

'**How often do you check to see if anyone's inside?' Harry asked.**

'**About once every ten years,' said Griphook, with a rather nasty grin.**

'Goblins have such lovely personalities,' grinned James.

**Something really extraordinary had to be inside this top-security vault, Harry was sure, and he leant forwards eagerly, expecting to see fabulous jewels at the very least – but at first he thought it was empty. Then he noticed a grubby little package wrapped up in brown paper lying** **on the floor. Hagrid picked it up and tucked it deep inside his coat. Harry longed to know what it was, but he knew better than to ask.**

'I wonder what it is,' mumbled Sirius.

'Can't you guess,' replied Remus.

'Erm... No.' Sirius said, 'What?' Remus shook his head and indicated for Teddy to continue.

'**Come on, back in the infernal cart, and don't talk to me on the way back, it's best if I keep me** **mouth shut,' said Hagrid.**

**One wild cart-ride later they stood blinking in the sunlight outside Gringotts. Harry didn't know where to run first now that he had a bag full of money. He didn't have to know how many Galleons there was to a pound to know that he was holding more money than he'd had in his whole life – more money than even Dudley had ever had. **

'**Might as well get yer uniform,' said Hagrid, nodding towards **_**Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. '**_**Listen, Harry, would yeh mind if I slipped off fer a pick-me-up in the Leaky Cauldron? I hate them Gringotts carts.' He did still look a bit sick, so Harry entered Madam Malkin's shop alone, feeling nervous.**

**Madam Malkin was a squat, smiling witch dressed in mauve.**

'**Hogwarts, dear?' she said, when Harry started to speak. **'**Got the lot here – another young man being fitted up just now, in fact.'**

Draco stared at the book and sighed, they weren't going to like him from this point onwards.

**In the back of the shop, a boy with a pale, pointed face was standing on a footstool while a second witch pinned up his long black robes. Madam Malkin stood Harry on a stool next to him,** **slipped a long robe over his head and began to pin it to the right length.**

'**Hullo,' said the boy, 'Hogwarts too?'**

'Maybe Harry can make a friend,' Lily smiled, 'he will have someone to sit with on the train.'

Draco snorted, barely hiding it with a cough.

'**Yes,' said Harry.**

'**My father's next door buying books and mother's up the street looking at wands,' said the boy. He had a bored, drawling voice. 'Then I'm going to drag them off to look at racing brooms. I don't see why first-years can't have their own. **

'I agree completely! First-years should be allowed to play! I like this kid,' yelled Sirius.

'Sirius, that rule is there for a reason, even ignoring the safety side of things, it would be unfair for the Muggle-born students because they won't have flown before they get to Hogwarts.'

Sirius groaned, 'I hate it when you get logical Lily,'

**I think I'll bully father into getting me one and I'll smuggle it in somehow.'**

**Harry was strongly reminded of Dudley.**

'Ok, now I don't like this kid,'

'**Have **_**you **_**got your own broom?' the boy went on.**

'**No,' said Harry.**

'**Play Quidditch at all?'**

'**No,' Harry said again, wondering what on earth Quidditch could be.**

James clutched at his heart, as if in pain.

'_**I **_**do – Father says it's a crime if I'm not picked to play for my house, and I must say, I agree. Know what house you'll be in yet?'**

'**No,' said Harry, feeling more stupid by the minute.**

'**Well, no one really knows until they get there, do they, but I know I'll be in Slytherin, all our family have been – imagine being in Hufflepuff, I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?'**

'Whats wrong with Hufflepuff,' frowned Teddy, 'Oh, that was me who said that, not the book,' he explained, when no one reacted.

'Are you a Hufflepuff?' asked Lily.

Teddy nodded in responce.

'Harry had better be in Gryffindor,' James growled.

'James!' said Lily. 'It doesn't matter what house he's in.'

'Really? You wouldn't mind at all if he was put in Slytherin?'

'No, I wouldn't, each house has its own qualities, some are good some are bad and there is a lot of overlap. So, no, I wouldn't care.'

'But, but, Slytherin!'

'Yeah, Slytherin where they are ambitious, cunning and clever. I don't see anything wrong with those qualities.'

'Whatever,'

'**Mmm,' said Harry, wishing he could say something a bit more interesting.**

'**I say, look at that man!' said the boy suddenly, nodding towards the front window. Hagrid was standing there, grinning at Harry and pointing at two large ice-creams to show he couldn't come in.**

'**Thats** **Hagrid,' said Harry, pleased to know something the boy didn't. 'He works at Hogwarts.'**

'**Oh,' said the boy, 'I've heard of him. He's a sort of servant, isn't he?'**

'**He's the gamekeeper,' said Harry. He was liking** **the boy less and less every second.**

'**Yes, exactly.** **I heard he's sort of **_**savage**_ – **lives in a hut in the school grounds and every now and then he gets drunk, tries to do magic and ends up setting fire to his bed.'**

'I really don't think that's true,' scoffed Ginny

'**I think he's brilliant,' said Harry coldly.**

'_**Do**_ **you?' said the boy, with a slight sneer. 'Why is he with you? Where are your parents?'**

'**They're dead,' said Harry shortly. He didn't feel much like going into the matter with this boy.**

'**Oh, sorry,' said the other, not sounding sorry at all. 'But they were **_**our **_**kind, weren't they?'**

'**They were a witch and wizard, if that's what you mean.'**

'**I really don't think they should let the other sort in, do you? They're just not the same;** **they've never been brought up to know our ways. Some of them have never even heard of Hogwarts until they get the letter, imagine. I think they should keep it in the old wizarding** **families. What's your surname anyway?'**

**But before Harry could answer, Madam Malkin said, 'That's you done, my dear,' and Harry, not sorry for an excuse to stop talking to the boy, hopped down from the footstool.**

'Why was Harry finished before him? I arrived later.' Wondered Remus

'Maybe he was getting dress robes fitted as well,' said Draco sheepishly.

'**Well, I'll see you at Hogwarts, I suppose,' said the drawling boy. **

**Harry was rather quiet as he ate the ice-cream Hagrid had bought him (chocolate and raspberry with chopped nuts).**

'**What's up?'** **said Hagrid.**

'**Nothing,' Harry lied. They stopped to buy parchment and quills. Harry cheered up a bit when he found a bottle of ink that changed colour as you wrote. **

'I love that ink, I use it for everything,' smiled Luna.

**When they had left the shop, he said, 'Hagrid, what's Quidditch?'**

'**Blimey, Harry, I keep forgettin**' **how little yeh know – not knowin**' **about Quidditch!'**

'**Don't make me feel worse,' said Harry. He told Hagrid about the pale boy in Madam Malkin's.**

'**- and** **he said people from Muggle families shouldn't even be allowed in –' **

'**Yer not **_**from**_ **a Muggle family.** **If he'd known who yeh **_**were**_ – **he's grown up knowin**' **yer name if his parents are wizardin**' **folk – you saw 'em** **in the Leaky Cauldron. Anyway, what does he know about it, some o' the best I ever saw were the only ones with magic in 'em** **in a long line o' Muggles – look at yer mum!**

Lily smiled at the praise, but Hagrid's next line wiped it from her face.

**Look what she had fer a sister!'**

'**So what **_**is**_ **Quidditch?'**

'**It's our sport. Wizard sport.** **It's like – like football in the Muggle world – everyone follows Quidditch – played up in the air on broomsticks and there's four balls – sorta** **hard ter explain the rules.'**

'No it isn't, there are four balls and seven player –' started James

'We all know how to play James, we don't need you to explain how,' laughed Ginny.

'**And what are Slytherin and Hufflepuff?'**

'**School 's** **four. Everyone says Hufflepuff are a lot o' duffers, but –'**

Teddy scowled at the book, but continued reading.

'**I bet I'm in Hufflepuff,' said Harry gloomily.**

'**Better Hufflepuff than Slytherin,' said Hagrid darkly. 'There's not a single witch or wizard who went bad who wasn't in Slytherin. You-Know-Who was one.'**

'**Vol** **- sorry – You-Know-Who was at Hogwarts?'**

'**Years an' years ago,' said Hagrid.**

**They brought Harry's school books in a shop called Flourish and Blotts** **where the shelves were stacked to the ceiling with books as large as paving stones bound in leather; books the size of postage stamps in covers of silks; books full of peculiar symbols and a few books with nothing in them at all. Even Dudley, who never read anything, would have been wild to get his hands on some of these. Hagrid almost had to drag Harry away from **_**Curse and Counter-Curses (Bewitch your Friends and Befuddle your Enemies with the Latest Revenges: Hair Loss, Jelly-Legs, Tongue-Tying and much, much more) **_**by Professor Vindictus Viridian.**

'**I was trying to find out how to curse Dudley.'**

'Marauder in the making,' smirked Sirius, causing Lily to put her head in her hands.

'**I'm not sayin**' **thats** **not a good idea, but yer not ter use magic in the Muggle world except in very special circumstances,' said Hagrid. 'An' anyway, yeh couldn**' **work any of them curses yet, yeh'll need a lot more study before yeh get ter that level.'**

**Hagrid wouldn't let Harry buy a solid gold cauldron, either ('It says pewter on yer list'), but they got a nice set of scales for weighing potion ingredients and a collapsible brass telescope. Then they visited the apothecary's, which was fascinating enough to make up for its horrible smell, a mixture of bad eggs and rotted cabbages. Barrels of slimy stuff stood on the floor, jars of herbs, dried roots and bright powders lined the walls, bundles of feathers, strings of fangs and snarled claws hung from the ceiling. While Hagrid asked the man behind the counter for a supply of some basic potions ingredients for Harry, Harry himself examined silver unicorn hairs at twenty-one Galleons each and miniscule, glittery black beetle eyes (five Knuts a scoop).**

**Outside the apothecary's, Hagrid checked Harry's list again.**

'**Just yer wand left – oh yeah, an' I still haven't got yeh a birthday present.'**

**Harry felt himself go red.**

'**You don't have to –'**

'**I know I don't have to. Tell yeh what, I'll get yer animal. Not a toad, toads went out of fashion years ago, yeh'd** **be laughed at – an' I don' like cats, they make me sneeze. I'll get yer an owl. All the kids want owls,** **they're dead useful, carry yer post an' everythin**'**.'**

**Twenty minutes later, they left Eeylops** **Owl Emporium, which had been dark and full of rustling and flickering, jewel-bright eyes. Harry now carried a large cage which held a beautiful snowy owl, fast asleep with her head under her wing. He couldn't stop stammering his thanks, sounding just like Professor Quirrell.**

'That was really nice of Hagrid, I didn't know he gave Harry his owl,' smiled Ginny.

'**Don' mention** **it,' said Hagrid gruffly. 'Don' expect you've had a lotta** **presents from them Dursleys. Just Ollivanders** **left now – only place fer wands, Ollivanders, and yeh gotta have the best wand.'**

**A magic wand ... this was what Harry had been really looking forward to.**

**The last shop was narrow and shabby. Peeling gold letters over the door read **_**Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382**_ _**BC**__**. **_**A single wand lay on a faded purple cushion in the dusty window.**

**A tinkling bell rang somewhere on the depths of the shop as they stepped inside. It was a tiny place,** **empty except for a single spindly chair which Hagrid sat on to wait. Harry felt strangely as though he had entered a very strict library; he swallowed a lot of new questions which had just occurred to him and looked instead at the thousands of narrow boxes piled neatly right up to the ceiling. For some reason, the back of his neck prickled. The very dust and silence in here seemed to tingle with some secret magic.**

'That's because of how many wands there are, they don't get used and so their magic builds up. It's like a static charge.' Explained Hermione.

'**Good afternoon,' said a soft voice. Harry jumped. Hagrid must have jumped, too, because there was a loud crunching noise and he got quickly off the spindly chair.**

**An old man was standing before them, his wide, pale eyes shining like moons through the gloom of the shop.**

'**Hello,' said Harry awkwardly.**

'**Ah yes,' said the man. 'Yes, yes. I thought I'd be seeing you soon. Harry Potter.' It wasn't a question. 'You have your mother's eyes. It seems only yesterday she was in here herself, buying her first wand. Ten and a quarter inches long, swishy, made of willow. Nice wand for charm work.'**

'How does he do that? does remember every wand he sells?' Asked Lily.

'I think so,' replied James, 'he told me my parents wands when I went in.'

**Mr Ollivander moved closer to Harry. Harry wished he would blink. Those silvery eyes were a bit creepy.**

'**Your father, on the other hand, favoured a mahogany wand. Eleven .A little more power and excellent for transfiguration.** **Well, I say your father favoured it – it's really the wand that chooses the wizard, of course.'**

**'**My wand's awesome, why wouldn't I favour it.'

**Mr Ollivander had come so close that he and Harry were almost nose to nose. Harry could see himself reflected in those misty eyes.**

'**And that's where ...'**

**Mr Ollivander touched the lightning scar on Harry's forehead with a long, white finger.**

'**I'm sorry to say I sold the wand that did it,' he said softly. **'**Thirteen and a half .** **Powerful wand, very powerful, and in the wrong hands ... Well, if I'd known what that wand was going out into the world to do ...'**

**He shook his head and then, to Harry's relief, spotted Hagrid.**

'**Rubeus!** **Rubeus Hagrid! How nice to see you again ... Oak, sixteen inches, rather bendy, wasn't it?'**

'**It was, sir, yes' said Hagrid.**

'**Good wand, that one. But I suppose they snapped it in half when you got expelled?' said Mr Ollivander, suddenly stern.**

'**Er – yes, they did, yes,' said Hagrid, shuffling his feet. 'I've still got the pieces, though,' he added brightly.**

'**But you dint **_**use **_**them?' said Mr Ollivander sharply.**

'**Oh, no, sir,' said Hagrid quickly. Harry noticed he gripped his pink umbrella very tightly as he spoke.**

The marauders sniggered.

'**Hmmm,' said Ollivander, giving Hagrid a piercing look. 'Well, now – Mr Potter. Let me see.' He pulled a long tape measure with silver markings out of his pocket. 'Which is your wand arm?'**

'**Er – well, I'm right-handed,' said Harry.**

'**Hold out your arm. That's it.' He measured Harry from shoulder to finger, then wrist to elbow, shoulder to floor, knee to armpit and round his head. As he measured, he said, 'Every Ollivander wand has a core of a powerful magical substance, Mr Potter. We use unicorn hairs, phoenix tail feathers and the heartstrings of dragons. No two Ollivander wands are the same, just as no two unicorns, dragons or phoenixes are quite the same. And of course, you will never get such good results with another wizard's wand.'**

**Harry suddenly realised that the tape measure, which was measuring between his nostrils, was doing this on its own. Mr Ollivander was flitting around the shelves, taking down boxes.**

'**That will do,' he said, and the tape measure crumpled into a heap on the floor. 'Right then, Mr Potter. Try this one. Beechwood and dragon inches.** **Nice and flexible. Just take it and give it a wave.'**

**Harry took the wand and (feeling foolish) waved to around a bit, but Mr Ollivander snatched it out of his hand almost at once. **

'**Maple and phoenix whippy.** **Try –'**

**Harry tried – but he had hardly raised the wand when it, too, was snatched back by Mr Ollivander.**

'**No, no – here, ebony and unicorn hair, eight and a half inches, springy. Go on, go on, try** **it out.'**

**Harry tried. And tried.** **He had no idea what Mr Ollivander was waiting for. The pile of tried wands was mounting higher and higher on the spindly chair, but the more wands Mr Ollivander pulled from the shelves, the happier he seemed to become.**

'**Tricky customer, eh?** **Not to worry, we'll find the perfect match here somewhere – I wonder, now – yes, why not – unusual combination – holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice a supple.'**

**Harry took the wand. He felt a sudden** **warmth in his fingers. He raised the wand above his head, brought it swishing down through the dusty air and a stream of red and gold sparks shot from the end like a firework, throwing dancing spots of light on to the walls. **

The marauders cheered and clapped.

**Hagrid whooped and clapped and Mr Ollivander cried, 'Oh, bravo! Yes, indeed, oh, very good. Well, well, well ... how curious ... how very curious ...'**

**He put Harry's wand back into its box and wrapped it in brown paper, still muttering, 'Curious ... curious ...'**

'**Sorry,' said Harry, 'but **_**what's **_**curious?'**

**Mr Ollivander fixed Harry with his pale stare.**

'**I remember every wand I've ever sold, Mr Potter. Every single wand.** **It so happens that the phoenix whose tail feather is in your wand, gave another feather – just one other. It is very curious indeed that you should be destined for this wand when its brother – why, its brother gave you that scar.'**

'What!' yelled James at the same time as Lily muttered, 'Oh, this can't be good,'

**Harry swallowed.**

'**Yes, thirteen and a half inches. indeed how these things happen.** **The wand chooses the wizard, remember ... I think we must expect great things from you, Mr Potter ... After all, He Who Must Not Be Named did great things – terrible, yes, but great.' **

**Harry shivered. He wasn't sure he liked Mr Ollivander too much. He paid seven gold Galleons for his wand and Mr Ollivander bowed them from his shop.**

**The late-afternoon sun hung low in the sky as Harry and Hagrid made their way back down Diagon Alley, back through the wall, back through the Leaky Cauldron, now empty. Harry didn't speak at all as they walked down the road: he didn't even notice how much people were gawping at them on the Underground, laden as they were with all their funny shaped packages, with the sleeping snowy owl on Harry's lap. Up another escalator, out into Paddington station; Harry only realised where they were when Hagrid tapped him on the shoulder.**

'**Got time fer a bit to eat before yer train leaves,' he said.**

**He brought Harry a hamburger and they sat down on plastic seats to eat them. Harry kept looking around. Everything looked so strange, somehow.**

'**You all right, Harry? Yer very quiet,' said Hagrid.**

**Harry wasn't sure he could explain. He'd just had the best birthday of his life – and yet – he chewed his hamburger, trying to find the words.**

'**Everyone thinks I'm special,' he said at last. 'All those people in the Leaky Cauldron, Professor Quirrell, Mr Ollivander ... but I don't know anything about magic at all. How can they expect great things? I'm famous and I can't even remember what I'm famous for. I don't know what happened when Vol- sorry – I mean, the night my parents died.'**

**Hagrid leant across the table. Behind the wild beard and eyebrows he wore a very kind smile.**

'**Don' you worry, Harry. You'll learn fast enough. Everyone starts at the beginning at Hogwarts, you'll be just fine. Just be yerself. I know it's hard. Yeh've been singled out, an' that's always hard. But yeh'll have a great time at Hogwarts – I did – still do, 'smatter** **of fact.'**

**Hagrid helped Harry on to the train that would take him back to the Dursleys,** **then handed him an envelope.**

'**Yer ticket fer Hogwarts,' he said. 'First o' September – King's Cross – it's all on yer ticket. Any problems with the Dursleys, send me a letter with yer owl, she'll know where to find me ... See yeh soon, Harry.'**

**The train pulled out of the station. Harry wanted to watch Hagrid until he was out of sight; he rose in his seat and pressed his nose against the window, but he blinked and Hagrid had gone.**

'Harry's off to Hogwarts,' sang Sirius.

'He's got a month yet,' answered Remus rolling his eyes.

'Close enough.'

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**Review! **

**~AlwaysOpugno**


	9. The Journey from Platform 9 & 3-4

**After dealing with major laptop troubles I have finally finsihed this chapter XD Enjoy... or not... whatever**

**Disclaimer - I own a Harry Potter duvet cover, unfortunatly I don't actually own Harry Potter :( **

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**I have gone through this chapter again just to fix a typo and to add a sentence or two :) nothing has really changed.**

* * *

'Can we eat before we keep reading?' asked Ron, as his stomach moaned loudly.

'I'll go,' smiled Luna rising and skipping out of the room.

'I knew we brought her for a reason,' grinned Ron.

Hermione frowned at him, 'you could go and help, you know'

Ron just shrugged in response.

James snickered, 'Can I ask a question?' he asked.

'You can ask, but we might not answer.' smirked Ginny.

'How did I get Lily to go out with me and when?'

The time-travellers laughed at this, while Lily pretended not to hear as she talked to Neville.

Ginny looked at Hermione, who shrugged, before answering, 'you'll find out if you keep reading, but since you asked, we heard that you matured during your seventh year, and stopped asking her out all the time.'

'So, to get her to go out with me, I have to stop asking her out?' asked James, looking confused.

Hermione grinned, 'yeah, see when you ask her out all the time your always around, if you stop and just let her realise she misses you being there then you stand a better chance than if you constantly bothering her.'

Lily snorted, 'Try it if you want James, I can't see it working but anything that keeps you out of my hair is good with me.'

James frowned, deep in thought. 'So,' he said eventually, 'I leave her alone and she will come running after me?'

'Pretty much,' Ginny grinned.

A wide grin spread across James' face, 'I think I can manage that,'

'I doubt it,' muttered Sirius, 'you haven't gone an entire week without asking her out since first year.'

'Who said it would take a week? She'll miss me by the end of the day.'

Lily snorted again, 'We'll see,' she said rolling her eyes and continued talking to Neville.

Only Draco noticed Severus watching the exchange with a frown.

* * *

Lily turned to Neville, who was smiling at her. 'He's not that bad you know,' he whispered.

'Oh, I know, but its more fun this way.

Neville's eyes widened, 'you like him?'

Lily shrugged, 'haven't decided, he hasn't been as annoying as usual recently, but I can't exactly give in can I? It will just make him more arrogant, let him fret for a while, it will deflate his head a bit.'

Neville laughed.

* * *

'So when do you guys appear in the story?' Remus asks.

'Me? not for ages yet,' replied Teddy who had moved over to talk to his father. 'Ron, Hermione, Neville George and Ginny and in the next chapter, Draco was in the last chapter, and Luna isn't for a while either.'

'Draco was in the last chapter?'

'Yeah,' Teddy laughed, 'he was the prat in Madame Malkins.'

Remus raised his eyebrows, 'I won't ask 'cause I'm sure you wont tell me.'

Teddy just grinned in response.

* * *

'Food!' sang Luna, waltzing back in with a plate of sandwiches, 'I though since its only lunch time we can have something small and eat properly later.'

Ron and Sirius grinned and dived at the plate.

'Save some for the rest of us.' moaned George, reaching in and grabbing what he could without being bitten.

The others all managed to scavenge a sandwich or two without sustaining a serious injury.

* * *

''Ow 'bout 'e 'eep 'ea'ing 'ile 'e ea''

'Try chewing Ron,' suggested Ginny.

'How about we keep reading while we eat,'

'Recito' said Hermione, waving her wand at the book.

'Why didn't you do that before?' asked Teddy

'I thought it would be more fun if we actually read.' she smiled. Turning to the others she said, 'The spell will make the book read itself, it will stop if one of us talks and keep going when we stop.' They nodded and continued eating.

As everyone turned back to the book or the food, Ginny placed a few sandwiches into a hand which was floating in the air.

The book started reading, drowning out a quiet, 'thankyou.'

* * *

**The Journey from Platform 9 3/4**

**Harry's last month with the Dursleys wasn't fun. **

**'**Big shock,' muttered Sirius between mouthfuls.

**True, Dudley was now so scared of Harry he wouldn't stay in the same room, while Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon didn't shut Harry in his cupboard, force him to do anything or shout at him - in fact, they didn't speak to him at all. Half terrified, **

Ron snorted, 'Oh yeah eleven year old Harry, terrifying,'

**half-furious, they acted as though any chair with Harry in it was empty. Although this was an improvement in many ways, it did become a bit depressing after a while.**

**Harry kept to his room, with his new owl for company. He had decided to call her Hedwig, a name found in _A History of Magic. _His school books were very interesting. He lay on his bed reading late into the night, Hedwig swooping in and out of the open window as she pleased. It was lucky that Aunt Petunia didn't come in to Hoover anymore, because Hedwig kept bringing back dead mice. **

'Lovely,' muttered James.

'Cause your room is so clean?' questioned Remus.

**Every night before he went to sleep, Harry ticked off another day on the piece of paper he had pinned to the wall, counting down to September the first.**

**On the last day of August he thought he'd better speak to his aunt and uncle about getting to King's Cross station the next day, **

'Leaving it a bit late aren't we?' asked James.

'Best not to give them time to think about it,' scowled Lily.

**so he went down to the living-room, where they were watching a quiz show on television. He cleared his throat to let them know he was there, and Dudley screamed and ran from the room.**

'How brave,' snickered Neville.

**'Er - Uncle Vernon?'**

**Uncle Vernon grunted to show that he was listening.**

**'Er - I need to be at King's Cross tomorrow to - to go to Hogwarts.'**

**Uncle Vernon grunted again. **

**'Would it be all right if you gave me a lift?'**

**Grunt. Harry supposed that meant yes.**

'Well, at least he's taking him,' muttered George.

**'Thank you.'**

**He was about to go back upstairs when Uncle Vernon actually spoke.**

**'Funny way to get to a wizards' school, the train. Magic carpets all got punctures, have they?' **

'No, there illegal.' said Sirius quite seriously. 'My uncle was arrested for owning one a few years ago. It was really funny, specially 'cause it was me who wrote to the ministry and told them.' he finished with an evil grin.

**Harry didn't say anything.**

**'Where is this school, anyway?'**

'Scotland,'

**'I don't know,' **

'Scotland,'

**said Harry, realising for the first time. He pulled the ticket Hagrid gave him out of his pocket.**

**'I just take the train from platform nine and three-quarters at eleven o'clock,' he read.**

'It will take you to Scotland.' insisted James.

'Yes James, we know,' said Remus patting him condescendingly on the head.

**His aunt and uncle stared.**

**'Platform what?'**

**'Nine and three-quarters.'**

**'Dont talk rubbish,' said Uncle Vernon, 'there is no platform nine and three-quarters.'**

James smirked, 'Yes there is, and it will take you to...'

'Say it one more time and I'll curse you.' muttered Lily. 'Petunia knows about the platform,' she thought to herself frowning.

**'It's on my ticket.'**

**'Barking,' said Uncle Vernon, 'howling mad, the lot of them. You'll see. You just wait. All right, we'll take you to King's Cross. We're going up to London tomorrow anyway, or I wouldn't bother.' **

**'Why are you going to London?' Harry asked, trying to keep things friendly.**

''Odd plan,' said Sirius through a mouthful of sandwich.

**'Taking Dudley to hospital,' growled Uncle Vernon. 'Got to have that ruddy tail removed before he goes to Smeltings.'**

Most people snickered.

**Harry woke at five o'clock the next morning and was too excited and nervous to go back to sleep. He got up and pulled on his jeans because he didnt want to walk to the train station in his wizard robes - he'd change on the train. **

'Bloody genius,' grinned Neville.

**He checked his Hogwarts list yet again to make sure he had everything he needed, saw that Hedwig was shut safely in her cage and then paced the room, waiting for the Dursleys to get up. Two hours later, Harry's huge, heavy trunk had been loaded into the Dursleys car, Aunt Petunia had talked Dudley into sitting next to Harry and they had set off.**

**They reached Kings Cross at half past ten. Uncle Vernon dumped Harry's trunk on to a trolley and wheeled it into the station for him. Harry thought this was strangely kind until Uncle Vernon stopped dead, facing the platforms with a nasty grin on his face.**

'Prat.'

**'Well, there you are, boy. Platform nine - platform ten. Your platform should be somewhere in the middle, but they don't seem to have built it yet, do they?'**

'Double prat.'

'Petunia always came with me on September 1st, she knows how to get onto the platform.' sighed Lily. 'What are the chances of her actually helping?' she questioned retorically.

**He was quite right, of course. There was a big plastic number nine over one platform and a big plastic number ten over the one next to it, and in the middle, nothing at all.**

**'Have a good term,' said Uncle Vernon with an even nastier smile. **

'Even bigger prat.'

**He left without another word. Harry turned and saw the Dursleys drive away. **

'Colossal prat.'

'We get it, Sirius.' smiled George, who was amazed that Sirius had stopped eating for long enough to talk.

**All three if them were laughing. **

Lily frowned at her sister, 'thats just nasty,' she muttered.

**Harry's mouth went rather dry. What on earth was he going to do? He was starting to attract a lot of funny looks, because of Hedwig. He'd have to ask someone.**

'That's a brilliant plan.' muttered Sirius.

'It is actually,' replied Hermione, 'there is normally a guard around the entrance of the platform whose job it is to help anyone who looks like they are headed for Hogwarts. They have to be careful though, they can't just go up to everyone who looks lost and tell them to run at the barrier.

'That would be brilliant,' laughed James, 'can you imagine that. Oi you there! You look lost, why don't you run at that wall over there, I think it will help.'

**He stopped a passing guard, but didn't dare mention platform nine and three-quarters. The guard had never heard of Hogwarts **

'Bad luck, you chose the wrong one.' sighed Hermione.

**and when Harry couldn't even tell him what part of the country it was in, he started to get annoyed, as though Harry was being stupid on purpose. **

James grinned at Sirius. 'You do that all the time.'

'Do not,'

'Oh so when McGonagall asked why you hair and robes had turned bright pink you really had only just noticed.'

'Ever think that I'm just that stupid?'

'It crossed my mind but then I realised how vain you are, you would never had gone that long without looking in a mirror.'

'Hey!'

**Getting desperate, Harry asked for the train that left at eleven o'clock, but the guard said there wasn't one. In the end the guard strode away, muttering about time-wasters. Harry was now trying not to panic. According to the large clock over the arrivals board, he had ten minutes left to get on the train to Hogwarts and he had no idea how to do it; he was stranded in the middle of a station with a trunk he could hardly lift, a pocket full of wizard money and a large owl. **

**Hagrid must have forgotten to tell him something you had to do, like tapping the third brick on the left to get to Diagon Alley. He wondered if he should get out his wand and start tapping the ticket box between platforms nine and ten. **

'That could work actually, when he noticed the end of his wand disappearing he might figure it out.'

Remus cleared his throat, muttering something that sounded like, 'statute of secrecy.'

'I said it could work, not that he should do it.'

**At that moment a group of people passed just behind him and he caught a few words of what they were saying.**

**'-packed with Muggles, of course-'**

**Harry swung round. The speaker was a plump woman who was talking to four boys, all with flaming red hair. Each of them was pushing a trunk like Harry's in front of him - and they had an _owl. _**

**Heart hammering, Harry pushed his trolley after them. They stopped and so did he, just near enough to hear what they were saying. **

**'Now, what's the platform number?' said the boys' mother.**

'She forgot?' questioned Remus curiously.

'She was stressed, trying to get the five of us ready in time was always a nightmare.' smiled George.

'We get to meet you three now?'

George grinned, 'Now the story will be interesting,' he declared.

**'Nine and three-quarters!' piped a small girl, also red-headed, who was holding her hand. 'Mum, can't I go...' **

**'Your not old enough, Ginny, now be quiet. **

Ron smirked at Ginny, 'I'd forgotten you said that.'

'Like you were any better the year before.' she retorted, turning red.

**All right, Percy, you go first.'**

**What looked like the oldest boy marched towards platform nine and ten. Harry watched, careful not to blink in case he missed it - but just as the boy reached the divide between the two platforms, a large crowd of tourists came swarming in front of him, and by the time the last rucksack had cleared away, the boy had vanished.**

'And now he has to ask,' grinned George, 'he's so lucky he met us, we are obviously the best.'

'Ah, but which of us is the best of the best?' Ginny grinned back.

**'Fred, your next,' the plump woman said.**

George frowned, he had known from the beginning that this was going to be hard, but he had to do it.

**'I'm not Fred, I'm George,' said the boy. 'Honestly, woman, call yourself our mother? Can't you _tell _I'm George?' **

**'Sorry, George, dear.'**

**'Only joking, I am Fred,' said the boy, and off he went. **

'Pranksters,' laughed James and Sirius causing George to smile.

**His twin called after him to hurry up, and he must have done, because a second later, he had gone - but how had he done it?**

**Now the third brother was walking briskly towards the ticket barrier - he was almost there - and then, quite suddenly, he wasn't anywhere.**

'Its magic Harry,' sang James smirking.

**There was nothing else for it.**

**'Excuse me,' Harry said to the plump woman.**

**'Hullo, dear,' she said. 'First time at Hogwarts? Ron's new, too.'**

**She pointed at the last and youngest of her sons. He was tall, thin and gangling, with freckles, big hands and feet and a long nose.**

'So charming,' muttered Ron.

'Sounds about right to me,' joked Neville.

**'Yes,' said Harry. 'The thing is - the thing is, I don't know how to -'**

**'How to get in to the platform?' She said kindly, and Harry nodded.**

'Tell your Mum thanks,' Lily told the three Weasleys.

**'Not to worry,' she said. 'All you have to do is walk straight at the barrier between platforms nine and ten. Don't stop and don't be scared you'll crash into it, that's very important. Best do it at a bit of a run if your nervous. go on, go now before Ron.'**

**'Er - OK,' said Harry.**

**He pushed his trolley round and stared at the barrier. It looked very solid.**

'Well duh, if it looked squishy the Muggles would question it,' said Sirius like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

**He started to walk towards it. People jostled him on their way to platforms nine and ten. Harry walked more quickly. He was going to smash right into that ticket box and then he'd be in trouble - leaning forward on his trolley he broke into a heavy run - the barrier was coming nearer and nearer - he wouldn't be able to stop - the trolley was out of control - he was a foot away - he closed his eyes ready for the crash - **

**It didn't come... He kept running ... He opened he eyes.**

The Marauders cheered.

**A scarlet steam engine was waiting next to a platform packed with people. A sign overhead said _Hogwarts Express, 11 o'clock._ Harry looked behind him and saw a wrought-iron archway where the ticket box had been, with the words ****_Platform Nine and Three-Quarters _on it. He had done it.**

**Smoke from the engine drifted over the heads of the chattering crowd, while cats of every colour wound here and there between their legs. Owls hooted to each other in a disgruntled sort of way over the babble and the scrapping of heavy trunks.**

**The first few carriages were already packed with students hanging out of the window to talk to their families, some fighting over seats. Harry pushed his trolley off down the platform in search of an empty seat. He passed a round-faced boy who was saying, 'Gran, I've lost my toad again.' **

'What a brilliant way to start.' muttered Neville.

**'Oh,_ Neville_,' he heard the old woman sigh.**

'Only four of you missing now,' smiled Lily.

'Three, I was in the last chapter,' corrected Draco.

'When?'

'He was the moron in Madame Malkins,' answered Ron, receiving a glare from Draco. 'Hermione will be in this chapter but then you'll have to wait ages for the others, Luna doesn't turn up until fifth year and Teddy isn't around until seventh.'

**A boy with dreadlocks was surrounded by a small crowd.**

**'Give us a look, Lee, go on.'**

**The boy lifted the lid of a box in his arms and the people around him shrieked and yelled as something inside poked out a long, hairy leg.**

Ron shuddered.

**Harry pressed on through the crowd until he found an empty compartment near the end of the train. He put Hedwig inside first and then started to shove and heave his trunk towards the train door. He tried to lift it up one of the steps but could hardly raise one end and twice dropped it painfully on his foot.**

**'Want a hand?' It was one of the red-haired twins he'd followed through the ticket box.**

'Thanks,' said James.

**'Yes, please,' Harry panted.**

**'Oy, Fred! C'mere and help!'**

**With the twins' help, Harry's trunk was at last tucked away in a corner of the compartment. **

**'Thanks,' said Harry, pushing his sweaty hair out of his eyes.**

**'What's that?' said one of the twins suddenly, pointing at Harry's lighting scar.**

'Wow,' laughed Ginny, 'polite.'

George shrugged.

**'Blimey,' said the other twin. 'Are you -?'**

**'He _is_,' said the first twin. 'Aren't you?' he added to Harry.**

**'What?' said Harry**

**'_Harry Potter,_' chorused the twins.**

**'Oh, him,' said Harry. 'I mean, yes, I am.'**

'Ah! He's inherited Padfoot's brains!'

'How is that even possible James?' asked Lily.

'Obviously Lily, after the two of you got married, me and you had a passionate love affair that resulted in Harry here.' replied Sirius matter of factly.

'Or James is just as stupid as you,' she answered looking slightly disgusted.

**The two boys gawped at him and Harry felt himself going red. Then, to his relief, a voice came floating in through the train's open door.**

**'Fred? George? Are you there?' **

**'Coming, Mum.'**

**With a last look at Harry, the twins hopped off the train. **

**Harry sat down next to the window where, half-hidden, he could watch the red-haired family on the platform and hear what they were saying. Their mother had just taken out her handkerchief.**

**'Ron, you've got something on your nose.'**

**The youngest boy tried to jerk out of the way, but she grabbed him and began rubbing the end of his nose. **

Ron went red, that dirt spot wouldn't come off until the following day.

George as if reading Rons mind said, 'It would come off because we snuck in while you were sleeping and charmed it on.'

Everyone in the room sniggered, except Ron who was glaring angrily at his brother.

**'_Mum_ - geroff.' He wriggled free.**

**'Aaah, has ickle Ronnie got somefink on his nosie?' said one of the twins.**

**'Shut up,' said Ron.**

**'Where's Percy?' said their mother.**

**'He's coming now.'**

**The oldest boy came striding into sight. He had already changed into his billowing black Hogwarts robes and Harry noticed a shiny silver badge in his chest with the letter _P_ on it.**

The three Weasleys rolled their eyes, he had relaxed a lot after the war but they still remembered his obnoxious rule keeping.

**'Can't stay long, Mother,' he said. 'I'm up front, the Prefects have got two compartments to themselves'**

**'Oh, are you a _Prefect_, Percy?' said one of the twins, with an air of great surprise. 'You should have said something, we had no idea.'**

**'Hang on, I think I remember him saying something about it,' said the other twin. 'Once -' **

**'Or twice -'**

**'A minute -'**

**'All summer -'**

Everyone was laughing at this point. George stood up and took a bow.

**"Oh, shut up," said Percy the Prefect.**

**"How come Percy gets new robes, anyway?" said one of the twins.**

**"Because he's a prefect," said their mother fondly. "All right, dear, well, have a good term - send me an owl when you get there."**

**She kissed Percy on the cheek and he left. Then she turned to the twins.**

**"Now, you too - this year, you behave yourselves. If I get one more owl telling me you've blown up a toilet or -"**

**"Blown up a toilet? We've never blown up a toilet."**

'We have,' laughed Sirius.

'Well it wasnt so much a toilet, as the whole bathroom...' grinned James.

'That was you! Myrtle wouldn't stop crying for a month!'

'She never stopped crying anyway, and we only did it because she kept spying on Padfoot in the shower.'

'So you blew up her bathroom!'

James shrugged, 'Should have done her some good, no-one in there right mind wants to spy on Sirius in the shower, I like to think I knocked some sense into her.'

'Hey! I'll have you know, I look very good naked.'

Lily spluttered and everyone else laughed. 'Regardless of whether Sirius looks good in the shower or not you shouldnt have blown up her toilet.'

James shrugged again. 'It worked, and now I don't have to listen to this idiot moan about her anymore.' he said pointing at Sirius.

'I kind of miss her,' mumbled Sirius.

**"Great idea though, thanks, Mom."**

**"It's not funny. And look after Ron."**

**"Don't worry, ickle Ronnikins is safe with us."**

'You know, ickle Ronnikins is a brilliant nickname, I might start using again.' mused George, dodging the pillow aimed at his head.

**"Shut up," said Ron again. He was almost as tall as the twins already and his nose was still pink where his mother had rubbed it.**

**"Hey, Mom, guess what? Guess who we just met on the train?"**

**Harry leaned back quickly so they couldn't see him looking.**

**"You know that black-haired boy who was near us in the station? Know who he is?"**

**"Who?"**

**"Harry Potter!"**

**Harry heard the little girl's voice.**

**"Oh, Mom, can I go on the train and see him, Mom, please..."**

Ginny went red. 'I didn't know he was listening'. she muttered

**"You've already seen him, Ginny, and the poor boy isn't something you goggle at in a zoo. Is he really, Fred? How do you know?"**

**"Asked him. Saw his scar. It's really there - like lighting."**

**"Poor dear - no wonder he was alone, I wondered. He was ever so polite when he asked how to get onto the platform."**

**"Never mind that, do you think he remembers what You-Know-Who looks like?"**

'Don't ask him that!' said Lily.

'We didn't,' reassured George, looking scared.

**Their mother suddenly became very stern.**

**"I forbid you to ask him, Fred. No, don't you dare. As though he needs reminding of that on his first day at school."**

'Thankyou Mrs Weasley.' said Lily, sending a glare at George.

**"All right, keep your hair on."**

**A whistle sounded.**

**"Hurry up!" their mother said, and the three boys clambered onto the train. The leaned out of the window for her to kiss them good-bye, and their younger sister began to cry.**

**"Don't, Ginny, we'll send you loads of owls."**

**"We'll send you a Hogwarts toilet seat."**

The Marauders grinned.

**"George!"**

**"Only joking, Mom."**

**The train began to move. Harry saw the boys' mother waving and their sister, half laughing, half crying, running to keep up with the train until it gathered too much speed, then fell back and waved.**

**Harry watched the girl and her mother disappear as the train rounded the corner. Houses flashed past the window. Harry felt a great leap of excitement. He didn't know what he was going to but it had to be better than what he was leaving behind.**

**The door of the compartment slid open and the youngest redheaded boy came in.**

**"Anyone sitting there?" he asked, pointing at the seat opposite Harry. ****"Everywhere else is full."**

**Harry shook his head and the boy sat down. He glanced at Harry and then looked quickly out of the window, pretending he hadn't looked. Harry saw he still had the black mark on his nose.**

Ron scowled at George, who sniggered.

**"Hey, Ron."**

**The twins were back.**

**"Listen, we're going down the middle of the train - Lee Jordan's got a giant tarantula down there." **

**"Right," mumbled Ron.**

Ron sent another glare at his brother.

**"Harry," said the other twin, "did we introduce ourselves? Fred and George Weasley. And this is Ron, our brother. See you later, then."**

**"Bye," said Harry and Ron. The twins slid the compartment door shut behind them.**

**"Are you really Harry Potter?" Ron blurted out.**

Hermione coughed, hiding a mutter of the word 'tact.'

**Harry nodded.**

**"Oh - well, I thought it might be one of Fred and George's jokes," said Ron. "And have you really got - you know ..."**

**He pointed at Harry's forehead.**

**Harry pulled back his fringe to show the lighting scar. Ron stared.**

**"So that's where You-Know-Who..."**

**"Yes," said Harry, "but I can't remember it."**

**"Nothing?" said Ron eagerly.**

'Ron!' warned Lily.

**"Well - I remember a lot of green light, but nothing else."**

**"Wow," said Ron. He sat and stared at Harry for a few moments, then, as though he suddenly remembered what he was doing, he lookde quickly out of the window again.**

**"Are all your family wizards?" asked Harry, who found Ron just as interesting as Ron found him.**

**"Er - Yes, I think so," said Ron. "I think Mum's got a second cousin who's and accountant, but we never talk about him."**

'Why not?'

'He's a squib. He doesn't really like magic, I don't think he trusts it.' explained George. 'He keeps to the Muggle world most of the time.

**"So you must know loads of magic already."**

**The Weasleys were clearly one of those old wizarding families the pale boy in Diagon Alley had talked about.**

Draco snorted, seeing the glare he received off Ron he explained, 'I only mean, that you're not exactly the kind of family I was talking about at the time.'

**"I heard you went to live with Muggles," said Ron. "What are they like?"**

**"Horrible - well, not all of them. My aunt and uncle and cousin are, though. Wish I'd had three wizard brothers."**

**"Five," said Ron. For some reason, he was looking gloomy. "I'****m the sixth in our family to go to Hogwarts. You could say I've got a lot to live up to. Bill and Charlie have already left - Bill was head boy and Charlie was captain of Quidditch.**

**Now Percy's a prefect. Fred and George mess around a lot,but they still get really good grades and everyone thinks they're really funny. Everyone expects me to do as well as the others, but if I do, it's no big deal because they did it first. You never get anything new, either, with five brothers. I've got Bill's old robes, Charlie's old wand, and Percy's old rat."**

'Well you definatly do something new,' sniggered George quietly, so only Ron could hear him.

**Ron reached inside his jacket and pulled out a fat grey rat, which was asleep.**

**"His name's Scabbers and he's useless, he hardly every wake up.**

**Percy got an owl from my dad for being made prefect, but they couldn't aff - I mean, I got Scabbers instead."**

**Ron's ears went pink. He seemed to think he'd said too much, because he went back to staring out of the window.**

**Harry didn't think there was anything wrong with not being able to afford an owl. After all, he'd never had any money in his life until a month ago, and he told Ron so, all about having to wear Dudley's old clothes, and never getting any proper birthday presents. This seemed to cheer Ron up. **

Lily scowled at Ron, 'that cheered you up?'

'I was eleven,' he defended himself.

**"... and until Hagrid told me, I didn't know anything about being a wizard or about my parents or Voldemort."**

**Ron gasped.**

**"What?" said Harry.**

**"You said You-Know-Who's name!" said Ron, sounding both shocked and impressed. **

'Oh come on Ron,' said Teddy, 'its just a name.'

**"I'd have thought you of all people -"**

**"I'm not trying to be brave or anything, saying the name," said Harry, I just never knew you shouldn't. See what I mean? I've got loads to learn... I bet," he added voicing for the first time something that had been worrying him a lot lately. "I bet I'm the worst in the class."**

'Not with these two as parents you won't be,' said Remus rolling his eyes.

**"You won't be. There's loads of people who come from Muggle families and they learn quick enough."**

**While they had been talking, the train had carried them out of London. Now they were speeding past fields full of cows and sheep. They were quiet for a time, watching the fields and lanes flick past.**

**Around half past 12 there was a great clattering outside in the corridor and a smiling, dimpled witch slid back their door and said, "Anything off the cart, dears?"**

**Harry, who hadn't had any breakfast, leapt to his feet, but Ron's ears went pink again and he muttered that he'd brought sandwiches. Harry went out into the corridor.**

**He had never had any money for sweets with the Dursleys,and now he that he had pockets rattling with gold and silver he was ready to buy as many Mars Bars as he could carry - but the woman didn't have Mars Bars. What she did have were Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, **

'Remember when you got that one that tasted like feet?' said James.

'What about when I dared you to pick out seven randomly and eat them all at once, and you got, vomit, pepper, cabbage, soap, egg, worm and banana.' replied Sirius.

'At least the banana one wasn't horrible.' laughed Teddy.

'I'm allergic to banana,' muttered James, glaring at Sirius who was roaring with laughter.

**Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, Chocolate Frogs, Pumpkin Pasties, Cauldron Cakes, Liquorice Wands, and a number of other strange things Harry had never seen in his life. Not wanting to miss anything, he got some of everything and paid the woman eleven Sickles and seven bronze Knuts.**

'What a healthy lunch,' said Hermione sarcastically.

**Ron stared as Harry brought it all back in to the compartment and tipped it onto an empty seat.**

**"Hungry, are you?"**

**"Starving," said Harry, taking a large bite out of a pumpkin pasty.**

**Ron had taken out a lumpy package and unwrapped it. There were four sandwiches inside. He pulled one of them apart and said, "She always forgets I don't like corned beef."**

'I think those were mine,' said George. 'I ended up with cheese.'

**"Swap you for one of these," said Harry, holding up a pasty. "Go on -"**

**"You don't want this, it's all dry," said Ron. "She hasn't got much time," he added quickly, "you know, with five of us."**

**"Go on, have a pasty," said Harry, who had never had anything to share before or, indeed, anyone to share with. It was a nice feeling, sitting there with Ron, eating their way through all Harry's pasties, cakes and sweets (the sandwiches lay forgotten).**

**"What are these?" Harry asked Ron, holding up a pack of Chocolate Frogs. "They're not really frogs, are they?" He was starting to feel that nothing would surprise him.**

'We're not that wierd,' laughed Remus, 'We don't eat frogs.'

**"No," said Ron. "But see what the card is. I'm missing Agrippa."**

'I have four of Agrippa,' smirked Draco.

Ron glared, he had gathered every other card in his life, except for Agrippa. 'What don't you have?'

'One of the new ones, I have every single one except that one.'

'Which of the new ones?'

'Its not the _one_ I would have _chosen_ to be missing,' he said glancing at the students, who were watching curiously but seemed to accept they wouldn't be asnwered if they asked.

'Oh,' smirked Ron, 'I have loads of them, can we swap?'

'Maybe,'

**"What?"**

**"Oh, of course, you wouldn't know - Chocolate Frogs have cards, inside them, you know, to collect - famous witches and wizards. I've got about five hundred, but I haven't got Agrippa or Ptolemy."**

**Harry unwrapped his Chocolate Frog and picked up the card. It showed a man's face. He wore half-moon glasses, had a long, crooked nose, and flowing silver hair, beard and moustache.**

**Underneath the picture was the name Albus Dumbledore**

**"So this is Dumbledore!" said Harry.**

**"Don't tell me you've never heard of Dumbledore!" said Ron. "Can I have a frog? I might get Agrippa"**

Ron muttered to himself angrily.

**Harry turned over his card and read:**

**ALBUS DUMBLEDORE **

**CURRENTLY HEADMASTER OF HOGWARTS**

**Considered by many the greatest wizard of modern times, Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragons blood, and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel. Professor Dumbledore enjoys chamber music and tenpin bowling.**

'I wrote to Nicolas Flamel once,' remembered Lily, 'I wanted to ask him about the eighth use of Dragons Blood.'

'Did he respond?'

'Oh yeah, he was really nice. His letter wasnt much help at the time though, I was a first-year so I didn't really understand what he was going on about.'

**Harry turned the card back over and saw, to his astonishment, that Dumbledore's face had disappeared.**

**"He's gone!"**

**"Well, you can't expect him to hang around all day," said Ron. "He'll be back. No, I've got Morgana again. I've got about six of her... do you want it? You can start collecting."**

**Ron's eyes strayed to the pile of Chocolate Frogs waiting to be unwrapped.**

**"Help yourself," said Harry. "But in, you know, the Muggle world, people just stay put in photos."**

**"Do they? What, they don't move at all?" Ron sounded amazed. "_W__eird_!"**

'I like Muggle photo's.' grinned Sirius. 'I have a rather nice one stuck to my bedroom wall at Grimmauld Place, its the only good thing about that house.'

**Harry stared as Dumbledore sidled back into the picture on his card and gave him a small smile. Ron was more interested in eating the frogs than looking at the Famous Witches and Wizards cards, but Harry couldn't keep his eyes off them. Soon he had not only Dumbledore and Morgana, but Hengist of Woodcroft, Alberic Grunnion, Circe, Paracelsus and Merlin. He finally tore his eyes away from the druidess Cliodno, who was scratching her nose, to open a bag of Bertie Bott's Every-Flavoured Beans.**

**'You want to be careful with those,' Ron warned Harry. 'When they say every flavour, they _mean_ every flavour - you know, you get all the ordinary ones like chocolate and peppermint and marmalade, but then you can get spinach and liver and tripe. George reckons he had a bogey-flavoured one once.'**

George shivered at the memory.

**Ron picked up a green bean, looking at it carefully and bit into a corner.**

'Don't eat that one, the green ones are all some sort of vegetation.' explained Remus shaking his head.

**'Bleaaargh - see? Sprouts.'**

'Told you.'

**They had a good time eating the Every-Flavour Beans. Harry got toast, coconut, baked bean, strawberry, curry, grass, coffee, sardine and was even brave enough to nibble the end of a funny grey one Ron wouldn't touch, which turned out to be pepper.**

**The countryside now flying past the windows was becoming wilder. The neat fields had gone. Now there were woods, twisting rivers and dark green hills.**

**There was a knock on the door of their compartment and the round-faced boy Harry had passed on platform nine and three-quarters came in. He looked tearful.**

**'Sorry,' he said, 'but have you seen a toad at all?'**

'Trevor,' sighed Neville, 'He never stuck around for long.'

**When they shook their heads, he wailed, 'I've lost him! He keeps getting away from me!'**

**'He'll turn up,' said Harry.**

**'Yes,' said the boy miserably. 'Well, if you see him ...'**

**He left.**

**'Don't know why he's so bothered,' said Ron. 'If I'd have brought a toad I'd lose it as quick as I could. Mind you, I brought Scabbers, so I can't talk.'**

**The rat was still snoozing on Ron's lap.**

**'He might have died and you wouldn't know the difference,' said Ron in disgust. 'I tried to turn him yellow yesterday to make him more interesting, but the spell didn't work. I'll show you, look...'**

'How would being yellow make him interesting?' asked Sirius.

Before Ron could answer, James waved his wand at Sirius turning him a very flourecent yellow. 'Thats how.' he said before laughing.

Sirius looked down at himself in shock, before shrugging and saying, 'Meh, I kinda like it.'

**He rummaged around in his trunk and pulled out a very battered-looking wand. It was chipped in places and something white was glinting at the end.**

**'Unicorn hair's nearly poking out. Anyway -'**

**He had just raised his wand when the compartment door slid open again. The toadless boy was back, but this time he had a girl with him. She was already wearing her new Hogwarts robes.**

**'Has anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost one,' she said. She had a bossy sort of voice, lots of bushy brown hair and rather large front teeth.**

'Are these descriptions nice about anyone?' Hermione sighed.

'One down, two to go,' said James.

**'We've already told him we haven't seen it,' said Ron, but the girl wasn't listening, she was looking at the wand in his hand.**

**'Oh, are you doing magic? Let's see it, then.'**

**She sat back down. Ron looked taken aback.**

**'Er - all right.'**

**He cleared his throat.**

**'Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow,**

**Turn this stupid fat rat yellow.'**

George burst out laughing, 'I can't believe you actually tried that spell.' he gasped.

**He waved his wand, but nothing happened. Scabbers stayed grey and fast asleep.**

**'Are you sure that's a real spell?' said the girl. 'Well, it's not very good, is it? I've tried a few simple spells just for practise and it's all worked for me. Nobody in my family's magic at all, it was every such a surprise when I got my letter, but I was ever so pleased, of course, I mean, it's the very best school of witchcraft there is, I've heard - I've learnt all our set books off by heart, of course, I just hope it will be enough - I'm Hermione Granger by the way, who are you?'**

**She said all this very fast.**

Hermione looked horrified, 'was I really that bad?' she asked Ron, who shook his head unconvincingly.

**Harry looked at Ron and was relieved to see by his stunned face that he hadn't learnt all his set books off by heart either.**

'Does anyone?' asked Remus.

'Well,' laughed Hermione, 'I did.'

**'I'm Ron Weasley.' Ron muttered.**

**'Harry Potter,' said Harry.**

**'Are you really?' said Hermione. 'I know all about you, of course - got a few extra books for background reading, and you're in _Modern Magical History _and _The Rise and Fall if the Dark Arts _and _Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century.' _**

'No offence Hermione, but your a little bit scary.'

**'Am I?' said Harry, feeling dazed.**

**'Goodness, didn't you know, I'd have found out everything I could if it was me,' said Hermione. 'Do either of you know what house you'll be in? I've been asking around and I hope I'm in Gryffindor, it sounds by far the best, I hear Dumbledore himself was one, but I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be so bad ... Anyway, we'd better go and look for Neville's toad. You two had better change, you know, I expect we'll be there soon.' **

**And she left, taking the toadless boy with her.**

**'Whatever house I'm in, I hope she's not in it.' said Ron. **

'Hey!'

'Sorry.'

'What house are you in?' questioned James.

'You'll find out in the next chapter.'

'5 Galleons says Ravenclaw.' betted Sirius.

'Sure, I reackon Gryffindor, if she was Ravenclaw I can't imagine they would have become good friends, and since she's here I would assume they did become good friends.' said James.

**He threw his wand back into the trunk. 'Stupid spell - George gave it to me, bet he knew it was a dud.' **

George hid his laugh as a cough.

**'What house are your brothers in?' asked Harry.**

**'Gryffindor,' said Ron. Gloom seemed to be settling on him again. 'Mum and Dad were in it, too. I don't know what they'll say if I'm not. I don't suppose Ravenclaw _would _be too bad, but imagine if they put me in Slytherin.'**

**'Thats the house Vol - I mean, You-Know-Who was in?'**

**'Yeah,' said Ron. He flopped back into his seat, looking depressed.**

**'You know, I think the ends of Scabber's whiskers are a bit lighter,' said Harry, trying to take Ron's mind off houses. 'So what do your oldest brothers do now they've left, anyway?'**

**Harry was wondering what a wizard did once he'd finished school.**

**'Charlie's in Romania studying dragons and Bill's in Africa doing something for Gringotts,' said Ron. 'Did you hear about Gringotts? It's been all over the _Daily Prophet,_ but I don't suppose you get that with the Muggles - someone tried to rob a high-security vault.'**

The students look at Ron and Hermione.

'Oh yeah, cause two eleven year olds could break in.'

**Harry stared.**

**'Really? What happened to them?'**

**'Nothing, that's why it's such big news. They haven't been caught. My dad says it must've been a powerful Dark wizard to get round Gringotts, but they don't think they took anything, that's what's odd. 'Course, everyone gets scared when something like this happens in case You-Know-Who's behind it.'**

**Harry turned the news over in his mind. He was starting to get a prickle of fear every time You-Know-Who was mentioned. He supposed this was all part of entering the magical world, but it had been a lot more comfortable saying 'Voldemort' without worrying.**

'Don't fear the name Harry.' groaned James.

**'What's your Quidditch team?' Ron asked.**

**'Er - I don't know any,' Harry confessed.**

James clutched at his chest as if in pain.

**'What!' Ron looked dumbfounded. 'Oh, you wait, it's the best game in the world -' And he was off, explaining all about the four balls and the positions of the seven players, describing famous games he'd been to with his brother and the broomstick he'd like to get if he had the money. He was just taking Harry through the finer points of the game when the compartment door slid open yet again, but it wasn't Neville the toadless boy or Hermione Granger this time.**

**Three boys entered and Harry recognised the middle one at once: it was the pale boy from Madam Malkin's robe shop. He was looking at Harry with a lot more interest than he'd shown back in Diagon Alley.**

**'Is it true?' he said. 'They're saying all down the train that Harry Potter's in this compartment. So it's you, is it?'**

**'Yes,' said Harry. He was looking at the other boys. Both of them was thickset and looked extreamly mean. Standing either side of the pale boy they looked like bodyguards.**

'Brave,' snorted Sirius.

**'Oh, this is Crabbe and this is Goyle,' said the pale boy carelessly, noticing where Harry was looking. 'And my name's Malfoy, Draco Malfoy.'**

**Ron gave a slight cough, which might have been hiding a snigger. Draco Malfoy looked at him.**

**'Think my name's funny, do you? No need to ask who you are. My father told me all the Weasleys have red hair, freckles and more children than they can afford.'**

Most of the people in the room glared at Draco.

'Can we just get over the fact that you are not going to like me in these books? Because the glares are going to get boring.'

**He turned back to Harry.**

**'You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there.'**

**He held out his hand to shake Harry's, but Harry didn't take it.**

**'I think I can tell the who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks,' he said coolly.**

The Marauders snorted.

'How would that even work Malfoy?' asked James. 'My father worked for the man who killed your parents and tried to kill you, if he ever comes back I will join him and also try to kill you. Want to be my friend?'

Draco glared.

**Draco Malfoy didn't go red, but a pink tinge appeared in his pale cheeks.**

**'I'd be careful if I were you, Potter,' he said slowly. 'Unless you're a bit politer you'll go the same way as your parents. They didn't know what was good for them, either. You hang around with riff-raff like the Weasleys and that Hagrid and it'll rub off on you.'**

**Both Harry and Ron stood up. Ron's face was as red as his hair.**

**'Say that again,' he said.**

**'Oh, you're going to fight us, are you?' Malfoy sneered.**

**'Unless you get out now,' said Harry, more bravely than he felt, because Crabbe and Goyle were a lot bigger than him or Ron.**

**'But we don't feel like leaving, do we, boys? We've eaten all of our food and you still seem to have some.'**

**Goyle reached towards the Chocolate Frogs next to Ron - Ron leapt forward, but before he'd so much as touched Goyle, Goyle let out a horrible yell.**

**Scabbers the rat was hanging off his finger, sharp little teeth sunk deep into Goyle's knuckle - Crabbe and Malfoy backed away as Goyle swung Scabbers round and round, howling, and when Scabbers finally flew off and hit the window, all three of them disapeared at once. Perhaps they thought there were more rats lurking among the sweets, **

'I think I've come up with our next prank, prongs.'

**or perhaps they'd heard footsteps, because a second later, Hermione Granger had come in.**

**'What _has_ been going on?' she said, looking at the sweets all over the floor and Ron picking up Scabbers by his tail.**

**'I think he's been knocked out,' Ron said to Harry. He looked closer at Scabbers. 'No - I don't believe it - he's gone back to sleep.'**

**And so he had.**

**'You've met Malfoy before?'**

**Harry explained about their meeting in Diagon Alley.**

**'I've heard of his family,' said Ron darkly. 'They were some of the first to come back to our side after You-Know-Who disappeared. Said they'd been bewitched. My dad doesn't believe it. He says Malfoy's father didn't need an excuse to go over to the Dark Side.' he turned to Hermione. 'Can we help you with something?' **

'That was rude.' muttered Hermione.

**'You'd better hurry up and put your robes on, I've just been up the front to ask the driver and he says we're nearly there. You haven't been fighting , have you?' You'll be in trouble before we even get there!' **

**'Scabbers has been fighting, not us,' said Ron, scowling at her. 'Would you mind leaving while we change?' **

**'All right - I only came in here because people outside are behaving very childishly, racing up and down the corridors,' said Hermione in a sniffy voice. **

Lily threw the Marauders a look, that was exaclty what they did every year.

**'And you've got dirt on your nose, by the way, did you know?'**

**Ron glared at her as she left. Harry peered out of the window. It was getting dark. He could see mountains and forests under a deep-purple sky. The train did seem to be slowing down.**

**He and Ron took off their jackets and pulled on their long black robes. Ron's were a bit short for him, you could see his trainers underneath them.**

**A voice echoed through the train: 'We will be reaching Hogwarts in about five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately.'**

**Harry's stomach lurched with nerves and Ron, he saw, looked pale under his freckles. They crammed their pockets with the last of the sweets and joined the crowd thronging the corridor.**

**The train slowed right down and finally stopped. People pushed their way towards the door and out on to a tiny, dark platform. Harry shivered in the cold night air. Then a lamp came bobbing over the heads of the students and Harry heard a familiar voice: 'Firs'-years! Firs'-years over here! All right there, Harry?' **

**Hagrid's big hairy face beamed over the sea of heads.**

**'C'mon, follow me - any more firs'-years? Mind yer step, now!' Firs'-years follow me!'**

**Slipping and stumbling, they followed Hagrid down what seemed to be a steep, narrow path. It was so dark either side of them that Harry thought there must be thick trees there. Nobody spoke much. Neville, the boy who kept losing his toad, sniffed once or twice.**

**'Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec,' Hagrid called over his shoulder, 'jus' round this bend here.'**

'There's nothing like seeing Hogwarts for the first time,' sighed Lily

**There was a loud 'Oooooh!'.**

**The narrow path had opened suddenly on to the edge of a great black lake. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers.**

**'No more'n four to a boat!' Hagrid called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore. Harry and Ron were followed into their boat by Neville and Hermione.**

**'Everyone in?' shouted Hagrid, who had a boat to himself, 'Right then - FORWARD!'**

**And the fleet of little boats moved off all at once, gliding across the lake, which was as smooth as glass. Everyone was silent, staring up at the great castle overhead. It towered over them as they sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood.**

James scowled at Sirius.

'What?' he asked grinning

'I still can't believe you did it.'

'What did he do?' asked Ron.

'He pushed me into the lake.' growled James.

Sirius laughed, 'It was funny.'

**'Heads down!' yelled Hagrid as the first boats reached the cliff; they all bent their heads and the little boats carried them through a curtain of ivy which hid a wide opening in the cliff face. They were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right underneath the castle, until they reached a kind of underground harbour, where they clambered out on to the rocks and pebbles.**

**'Oy, you there! Is this your toad?' said Hagrid, who was checking the boats as people climbed out of them.**

**'Trevor!' cried Neville blissfully, holding out his hands. Then they clambered up a passageway in the rock after Hagrid's lamp, coming out at last on to smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle.**

**They walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, oak front door.**

**'Everyone here? You there, still got yer toad?'**

**Hagrid raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door.**

'Time for the sorting,' sang Sirius.

'Can I read the sorting chapter?' asked Luna dreamily. 'I want to sing the hats song.'

* * *

**No promises for the next chapter as I dont know if I'll be able to get my laptop fixed anytime soon and I'm relying on my sister being nice and letting me use hers. I'll do my best :) **

**As always, READ & REVIEW! Seeing a new review makes my day! XD Even if it is critising my spelling :P **

**~AlwaysOpugno~**


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